Preventing suicide in health care settings.

Sentinel Event Alert. February 24, 2016;(56).

The Joint Commission publishes sentinel event alerts to emphasize pressing safety issues, determine root causes, and provide guidelines for organizations on how to address them. In light of receiving 1089 reports of suicide between 2010 and 2014, this new alert focuses on preventing suicide in health care settings. Many of the suicide cases investigated across health care settings had involved inadequate assessments or lack of identification of suicidal ideation. The alert suggests that all health care providers should screen for suicidal ideation and review patients for suicide risk factors. A previous WebM&M commentary discusses a suicide attempt on an inpatient medical unit.