How Can Providers Reduce Risk for Suicide in Healthcare Settings?

​To better prevent suicide in healthcare settings, the Joint Commission on October 25, 2017, issued guidance to determine what constitutes adequate environmental safeguards to protect patients from self-harm. About 85 suicides a year were reported to Joint Commission as Sentinel Events over the past five years and suicide is now the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The guidance was developed by an expert panel including representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and several major health systems.