I Was Today Years Old When Suicide Became a Sentinel Event*

*now up to 7 days post discharge!

The Frontier Psychiatrists is a health-themed newsletter. Owen Muir, M.D. writes it. Today, a quick reflection on the importance of measurement.

I'm really nerdy. I like regulatory updates. I get very excited about them. Today, I'm excited to let you know that as of 2024, The Joint Commission has decided that patient suicide is a sentinel event.

A Sentinel Event

…is defined as follows:

A sentinel event is a patient safety event (not primarily related to the natural course of the patient’s illness or underlying condition) that reaches a patient and results in any of the following:

– Death

– Permanent harm

– Severe temporary harm and intervention required to sustain life

A death by suicide will now be considered a sentinel event if it happens either within a healthcare setting, within seven days of discharge from an inpatient setting, from an emergency department, or within seven days from discharge from intensive outpatient treatment, residential settings, group homes, or transitional suppor…