title: Suicide risk assessment in an MCO.
abstract: The failure to detect suicide risk is one of the most prevalent and preventable clinical errors in behavioral health. A managed behavioral health care organization (MBHO) implemented patient self-report assessment as a means of identifying clinical risk. An analysis of the first full year of patient self-report data compared with data collected from clinicians observed that more than 50% of practitioners underdetected the presence of suicidal ideation. Discordance between patient self-report and practitioner report was noted, suggesting that suicide risk might not be sufficiently addressed in clinical practice. The MBHO addressed the underdetection from 2000 to 2002. The result was a reduction in the rate of underdetection for clinicians using the early warning system and adopting process changes implemented during the course of the study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Quality Improvement, PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Sherman Oaks, California 91499-2099, USA. christy.beaudin@phs.com
authors.forename: Christy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Beaudin
authors.forename: Victoria J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Vigil
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013405:Suicide; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States