Suicide Prevention

The Parkland Health Suicide Prevention Program is designed to improve patient safety and prevent suicidal behavior. All patients ages 10 and older are screened for suicide risk every time they are seen in the Emergency Department, Community Oriented Primary Care clinics, Urgent Care, and inpatient units. This screening is done with just four questions. It is designed to improve patient safety and helps save lives. The answers to these questions give information to Parkland healthcare providers for providing the care each patient needs. The Suicide Prevention Program began in 2015. Nearly 40,000 screenings are completed each month.

The Purpose

Thousands of people die by suicide each year. Most people who die by suicide have contact with a healthcare provider in the days and weeks before death, but the risk is often undetected. Standardized screening for suicide risk during healthcare encounters helps us find the people who are at risk for suicide so that we can help them.

How does it work?

Nursing staff asks each patient the suicide risk questions. The patient’s answers are entered into their electronic health record. Then, the healthcare team is given guidance for the next steps in each patient’s care. Possible responses include completing a full suicide risk assessment, providing the patient with community behavioral health resources and crisis line numbers, or completing a safety plan intervention.

What’s next?

Parkland Health researchers are studying outcomes from the suicide prevention program to improve care for patients at risk for suicide. They are studying patterns in suicide and other types of deaths in the state of Texas. These findings will also help other healthcare systems to care for patients at risk for suicide as well.