Poor Quality in the management of suicide in Primary Care
The limited understanding of how to assess and treat people with SI was apparent in some of the interviews in this UK study, although there was substantial variability between physicians. However, similar gaps in knowledge are also evident in other studies involving primary care professionals. An observational study of primary care providers in the Netherlands showed SI was assessed in only 44% of clinically depressed patients and 66% of new-onset depression patients. The frequent lack of suicide risk prevention policies in primary care practices is also apparent, and even when they do exist, there may be uncertainty regarding what they entail. Julie Goldstein Grumet, director of US Health and Behavioral Health Initiatives for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and the director of the Zero Suicide Institute, published preliminary research data in the Jan. 2019 Journal of Health Care Compliance. Less than one-third of healthcare providers (n=15,000) who completed an optional self-test for the Zero Suicide initiative in the USA reported feeling knowledgeable about suicide risk warning signs. Similarly, only 1 in 3 knew their organization's procedures for patients at increased risk or felt confident in their ability to respond to a suicidal patient. Although standardized tools, instruments, and rubrics do not provide a clear indication of imminent suicidal risk, the American Psychiatric Association Clinical Guidelines for Evaluating Suicidality suggests these tools can be useful as prompts when interviewing to ensure thoroughness in the questions asked during the risk assessment. Grumet et al. reported that only 35.5% of the providers stated they use any of these available tools when screening or assessing. Furthermore, only one-third of the healthcare professionals responsible for delivering treatment (n = 4,101) indicated they "strongly agreed" when self-rating their level of confidence or comfort in treating patients with elevated suicide risk.

Ref - Harmer B, Lee S, Duong TVH, Saadabadi A. Suicidal Ideation. 2021 Aug 6. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan–. PMID: 33351435. Accessed 6:26 PM 1/6/2022