@article{ref1,
title="Ask suicide-screening questions to everyone in medical settings: the asQ'em quality improvement project",
journal="Psychosomatics",
year="2013",
author="Horowitz, Lisa M. and Snyder, Deborah and Ludi, Erica and Rosenstein, Donald L. and Kohn-Godbout, Julie and Lee, Laura and Cartledge, Tannia and Farrar, Adrienne and Pao, Maryland",
volume="54",
number="3",
pages="239-247",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Suicide in hospital settings is a frequently reported sentinel event to the Joint Commission (JC). Since 1995, over 1,000 inpatient deaths by suicide have been reported to the JC; 25% occurred in non-behavioral health settings. Lack of proper &quot;assessment&quot; was the leading root cause for 80% of hospital suicides. This paper describes the &quot;Ask Suicide-Screening Questions to Everyone in Medical Settings (asQ'em)&quot; Quality Improvement Project. We aimed to pilot a suicide screening tool and determine feasibility of screening in terms of prevalence, impact on unit workflow, impact on mental health resources, and patient/nurse acceptance. METHODS: We piloted the asQ'em two-item screening instrument that assesses suicidal thoughts and behaviors, designed specifically for nurses to administer to medical patients. Educational in-services were conducted. A convenience sample of adult patients, 18 years or older, from three selected inpatient units in the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, participated. RESULTS: A total of 331 patients were screened; 13 (4%) patients screened &quot;positive&quot; for suicide risk and received further evaluation. No patient had acute suicidal thoughts or required an observational monitor. Screening took approximately 2 minutes; 87% of patients reported feeling comfortable with screening; 81% of patients, 75% of nurses, and 100% of social workers agreed that all patients in hospitals should be screened for suicide risk. DISCUSSION: Nurses can feasibly screen hospitalized medical/surgical patients for suicide risk with a two-item screening instrument. Patients, nurses, and social workers rated their experience of screening as positive and supported the idea of universal suicide screening in the hospital.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0033-3182",
doi="10.1016/j.psym.2013.01.002",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psym.2013.01.002"
}