Registering is also caring: Analysis of documentation practices on suicidal behavior in general and specialized...

Health records play multiple roles within mental health care services and systems, from supporting individual clinical work to informing public policy development. Despite this, record-keeping as part of routine practice faces numerous barriers and challenges. As part of a larger study on consultations for self-inflicted injuries in general neuropsychiatric hospitals in Argentina, this paper presents an analysis of the corresponding records.

Records from February 2023 were reviewed using a structured form encompassing five domains: readability, comparability, documentary standardization, accessibility, and content. In addition, interviews were conducted with key informants from the management, statistics, and clinical departments of the participating institutions.

The findings highlight the need to strengthen documentary standardization —particularly through the implementation of predefined data-entry fields— and to streamline and clearly define the minimum data required for reporting suicide attempts. The study offers a concrete proposal in this regard.

The results emphasize the importance of enhancing staff training, promoting a stronger sense of ownership of record-keeping as a core (rather than supplementary) professional responsibility, and ensuring the quality of care provided.