Evaluating the Prevalence of Suicide Risk Screening Practices in Accredited Hospitals

The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) on suicide prevention (NPSG.15.01.01) requires accredited hospitals to screen all patients aged 12 years and older who are being evaluated or treated for behavioral health conditions as their primary reason for care for suicidal ideation using a validated screening tool. Some hospitals have expanded screening to include nonbehavioral health care patients.

This cross-sectional observational study explored the prevalence and challenges of suicide risk screening practices among Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. An online questionnaire was sent to 859 general medical/surgical hospitals. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate differences in response rates, and responses were adjusted by hospital characteristics (bed capacity, location, system, and teaching status).

A total of 284 (33.1%) hospitals responded. The majority (n = 225 [79.2%]) reported screening all patients hospitalwide, and 185 (65.1%) had implemented a suicide prevention framework that includes protocols for positive screens and risk assessment. Challenges for implementing a comprehensive universal suicide risk screening and assessment protocol included insufficient staffing and lack of secure environments for at-risk patients. Of the 59 organizations not conducting hospitalwide screening, 94.9% indicated multiple reasons, including negative impact on workflow (30 [50.8%]), burden on providers (30 [50.8%]), not a requirement (29 [49.2%]), and workflow feasibility (28 [47.5%]).

Results suggest the majority of accredited hospitals have implemented suicide risk screening practices that exceed current Joint Commission requirements. The lack of sufficient resources to adequately address patients who screen positive for suicide risk remains a key challenge to universal screening.