The Suicide Risk Assessment Report for a patient must include extensive information about the patient’s suicide risks. Patient safety and compliance with care standards are improved by the documentation of SRA-related clinical actions. Many factors, such as drug addiction, availability of guns and social support can influence the severity of suicide-related harm. Documentation is a foundation for suicide prevention and risk stratification.
An overview of the value of recording a Suicide Risk Assessment (RSA) of a patient is at the beginning of this article. Stanley et. al. According to Stanley and colleagues (2019), most care professionals use documentation to determine the severity of patient risk. Patient safety is improved by proper documentation. This equips doctors to apply evidence-based treatments. Primary care physicians can use the RSA to create objective metrics for treatment progress. Documentation provides a checklist to ensure optimal care. Stanley et al. Stanley et al. Health care providers must accurately record each patient’s suicide risk, as well as mitigation strategies.
Because most attorneys base their case evaluations upon medical documents, documentation is essential to overcome legal barriers. Healthcare professionals are protected from most of the liability when medical records are properly documented. Routine RSA documentation helps to establish a foundation for personalized therapy by examining each highlighted sign or symptom. Healthcare providers can implement coordinated or tailored treatment based on the reliability and quality of the data. The information may lead to healthcare providers making decisions about whether to use aggressive measures, such as forcing hospitalization, or taking a less drastic approach in building therapeutic relationships. It is possible to adopt patient-centered treatments by having complete documentation.
Second, the paper discusses the need for documentation to be a key clinical skill. Many healthcare professionals ignore the necessity of documentation to provide safe, high-quality healthcare. Stanley et. al. Stanley et al. (2019) documenting is essential in healthcare as it helps to protect patients and reduce legal issues. It also improves the individual treatment. Because professionals need to have the skills and knowledge necessary for trustworthy and authentic documentation, it is an essential skill. Because it involves the interpretation of empirical data and documentation of clinical decisions, risks and plans, documentation is essential for clinical practice. A joint committee stressed that SRA documentation should include details about suicide, suicidal thought, self-harming behaviour, risk factors, protective factors and other pertinent information. A treatment plan must include informed consent, risk formulation, justification, biopsychosocial perspectives, and biopsychosocial perspectives. Care providers should ensure that the records contain an ideal self-assessment to encourage clinical judgement. Professionals can use the semi-structured or clinically administered SRA frameworks in their report to help them take appropriate actions.