Acquisition of Medicaid at the time of injury: An opportunity for sustainable insurance coverage.

INTRODUCTION: Uninsured trauma patients are at higher risk of mortality, limited access to postdischarge resources, and catastrophic health expenditure. Hospital Presumptive Eligibility (HPE), enacted with the 2014 Affordable Care Act, enables uninsured patients to be screened and acquired emergency Medicaid at the time of hospitalization. We sought to identify factors associated with successful acquisition of HPE insurance at the time of injury, hypothesizing that patients with higher Injury Severity Score (ISS) (ISS >15) would be more likely to be approved for HPE. METHODS: We identified Medicaid and uninsured patients aged 18 to 64 years with a primary trauma diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) in a large level I trauma center between 2015 and 2019. We combined trauma registry data with review of electronic medical records, to determine our primary outcome, HPE acquisition. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Among 2,320 trauma patients, 1,374 (59%) were already enrolled in Medicaid at the time of hospitalization. Among those uninsured at arrival, 386 (40.8%) acquired HPE before discharge, and 560 (59.2%) remained uninsured. Hospital Presumptive Eligibility patients had higher ISS (ISS >15, 14.8% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001), longer median length of stay (2 days [interquartile range, 0-5 days] vs. 0 [0-1] days, p < 0.001), were more frequently admitted as inpatients (64.5% vs. 33.6%, p < 0.001), and discharged to postacute services (11.9% vs. 0.9%, p < 0.001). Patient, hospital, and policy factors contributed to HPE nonapproval. In adjusted analyses, Hispanic ethnicity (vs. non-Hispanic Whites: aOR, 1.58; p = 0.02) and increasing ISS (p ≤ 0.001) were associated with increased likelihood of HPE approval. CONCLUSION: The time of hospitalization due to injury is an underused opportunity for intervention, whereby uninsured patients can acquire sustainable insurance coverage. Opportunities to increase HPE acquisition merit further study nationally across trauma centers. As administrative and trauma registries do not capture information to compare HPE and traditional Medicaid patients, prospective insurance data collection would help to identify targets for intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic, level IV.

Management of bed availability in intensive care in the context of hospitalization by court order.

OBJECTIVE: to identify, from the nurse perspective, situations that interfere with the availability of beds in the intensive care unit in the context of hospitalization by court order. METHOD: qualitative exploratory, analytical research carried out with 42 nurses working in adult intensive care. The selection took place by non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Data collected by interview and analyzed using the Discursive Textual Analysis technique. RESULTS: three categories were analyzed, entitled deficiency of physical structure and human resources; Lack of clear policies and criteria for patient admission and inadequate discharge from the intensive care unit. In situations of hospitalization by court order, there is a change in the criteria for the allocation of intensive care beds, due to the credibility of professionals, threats of medico-legal processes by family members and judicial imposition on institutions and health professionals. CONCLUSION: nurses defend the needs of the patients, too, with actions that can positively impact the availability of intensive care beds and adequate care infrastructure.

The impact of Medicaid expansion on trauma-related emergency department utilization: A national evaluation of policy implications.

BACKGROUND: The impact of the 2014 Affordable Care Act (ACA) upon national trauma-related emergency department (ED) utilization is unknown. We assessed ACA-related changes in ED use and payer mix, hypothesizing that post-ACA ED visits would decline and Medicaid coverage would increase disproportionately in regions of widespread policy adoption. METHODS: We queried the National Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) for those with a primary trauma diagnosis, aged 18 to 64. Comparing pre-ACA (2012) to post-ACA (10/2014 to 09/2015), primary outcomes were change in ED visits and payer status; secondary outcomes were change in costs, discharge disposition and inpatient length of stay. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, including difference-in-differences analyses. We compared changes in ED trauma visits by payer in the West (91% in a Medicaid expansion state) versus the South (12%). RESULTS: Among 21.2 million trauma-related ED visits, there was a 13.3% decrease post-ACA. Overall, there was a 7.2% decrease in uninsured ED visits (25.5% vs. 18.3%, p < 0.001) and a 6.6% increase in Medicaid coverage (17.6% vs. 24.2%, p < 0.001). Trauma patients had 40% increased odds of having Medicaid post-ACA (vs. pre-ACA: aOR 1.40, p < 0.001). Patients in the West had 31% greater odds of having Medicaid (vs. South: aOR 1.31, p < 0.001). The post-ACA increase in Medicaid was greater in the West (vs. South: aOR 1.60, p < 0.001). Post-ACA, inpatients were more likely to have Medicaid (vs. ED discharge: aOR 1.20, p < 0.001) and there was a 25% increase in inpatient discharge to rehabilitation (aOR 1.24, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Post-ACA, there was a significant increase in insured trauma patients and a decrease in injury-related ED visits, possibly resulting from access to other outpatient services. Ensuring sustainability of expanded coverage will benefit injured patients and trauma systems. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic, level III.

Simulating the Suicide Prevention Effects of Firearms Restrictions Based on Psychiatric Hospitalization and Treatment Records: Social Benefits and Unintended Adverse Consequences.

Objectives. To estimate the number of lives saved from firearms suicide with expansions of gun restrictions based on mental health compared with the number who would be unnecessarily restricted. Methods. Agent-based models simulated effects on suicide mortality resulting from 5-year ownership disqualifications in New York City for individuals with any psychiatric hospitalization and, more broadly, anyone receiving psychiatric treatment. Results. Restrictions based on New York State Office of Mental Health-identified psychiatric hospitalizations reduced suicide among those hospitalized by 85.1% (95% credible interval = 36.5%, 100.0%). Disqualifications for anyone receiving psychiatric treatment reduced firearm suicide rates among those affected and in the population; however, 244 820 people were prohibited from firearm ownership who would not have died from firearm suicide even without the policy. Conclusions. In this simulation, denying firearm access to individuals in psychiatric treatment reduces firearm suicide among those groups but largely will not affect population rates. Broad and unfeasible disqualification criteria would needlessly restrict millions at low risk, with potential consequences for civil rights, increased stigma, and discouraged help seeking.

Does legislative change affect the use and duration of compulsory treatment orders?

OBJECTIVE: Victoria, Australia, introduced reformed mental health legislation in 2014. The Act was based on a policy platform of recovery-oriented services, supported decision-making and minimisation of the use and duration of compulsory orders. This paper compares service utilisation and legal status after being on a community treatment order under the Mental Health Act 1986 (Vic) with that under the Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic). METHODS: We obtained two distinct data sets of persons who had been on a community treatment order for at least 3 months and their subsequent treatment episodes over 2 years under the Mental Health Act and/or as an inpatient for the periods 2008-2010 (Mental Health Act 1986) and 2014-2016 (Mental Health Act 2014). The two sets were compared to assess the difference in use, duration and odds of having a further admission over 2 years. We also considered the mode of discharge - whether by the treating psychiatrist, external body or through expiry. RESULTS: Compared with the Mental Health Act 1986, under the Mental Health Act 2014, index community treatment orders were shorter (mean 227 days compared with 335 days); there was a reduction in the mean number of community treatment orders in the 2 years following the index discharge - 1.1 compared with 1.5 (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.71, 95% confidence interval = [0.63, 0.80]) - and a 51% reduction in days on an order over 2 years. There was a reduction in the number of subsequent orders for those whose order expired or was revoked by the psychiatrist under the Mental Health Act 2014 compared to those under the Mental Health Act 1986. The number of orders which were varied to an inpatient order by the authorised psychiatrist was notably greater under the Mental Health Act 2014. CONCLUSION: The reformed Mental Health Act has been successful in its intent to reduce the use and duration of compulsory orders in the community. The apparent increase in return to inpatient orders raises questions regarding the intensity and effectiveness of community treatment and context of service delivery.

Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Acute Stroke Management: Prehospital, Emergency Department, and Acute Inpatient Stroke Care, 6th Edition, Update 2018.

The 2018 update of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Acute Stroke Management, 6th edition, is a comprehensive summary of current evidence-based recommendations, appropriate for use by healthcare providers and system planners caring for persons with very recent symptoms of acute stroke or transient ischemic attack. The recommendations are intended for use by a interdisciplinary team of clinicians across a wide range of settings and highlight key elements involved in prehospital and Emergency Department care, acute treatments for ischemic stroke, and acute inpatient care. The most notable changes included in this 6th edition are the renaming of the module and its integration of the formerly separate modules on prehospital and emergency care and acute inpatient stroke care. The new module, Acute Stroke Management: Prehospital, Emergency Department, and Acute Inpatient Stroke Care is now a single, comprehensive module addressing the most important aspects of acute stroke care delivery. Other notable changes include the removal of two sections related to the emergency management of intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. These topics are covered in a new, dedicated module, to be released later this year. The most significant recommendation updates are for neuroimaging; the extension of the time window for endovascular thrombectomy treatment out to 24 h; considerations for treating a highly selected group of people with stroke of unknown time of onset; and recommendations for dual antiplatelet therapy for a limited duration after acute minor ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. This module also emphasizes the need for increased public and healthcare provider's recognition of the signs of stroke and immediate actions to take; the important expanding role of paramedics and all emergency medical services personnel; arriving at a stroke-enabled Emergency Department without delay; and launching local healthcare institution code stroke protocols. Revisions have also been made to the recommendations for the triage and assessment of risk of recurrent stroke after transient ischemic attack/minor stroke and suggested urgency levels for investigations and initiation of management strategies. The goal of this updated guideline is to optimize stroke care across Canada, by reducing practice variations and reducing the gap between current knowledge and clinical practice.

Association of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid Expansion With Care Quality and Outcomes for Low-Income Patients Hospitalized With Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Despite advancement in the management of HF, outcomes remain suboptimal, particularly among the uninsured. In 2014, the Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid eligibility, and millions of low-income adults gained insurance. Little is known about Medicaid expansion's effect on inpatient HF care. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry to assess changes in inpatient care quality and outcomes among low-income patients (<65 years old) hospitalized for HF after Medicaid expansion, in expansion, and nonexpansion states. Patients were classified as low-income if covered by Medicaid, uninsured, or missing insurance. Expansion states were those that implemented expansion in 2014. Piecewise logistic multivariable regression models were constructed to track quarterly trends of quality and outcome measures in the pre (January 1, 2010-December 31, 2013) and postexpansion (January 1, 2014-June 30, 2017) periods. These measures were compared between expansion versus nonexpansion states during the postexpansion period. The cohort included 58 804 patients hospitalized across 391 sites. In states that expanded Medicaid, uninsured HF hospitalizations declined from 7.9% to 4.4%, and Medicaid HF hospitalizations increased from 18.3% to 34.6%. Defect-free HF care was increasing during the preexpansion period (adjusted odds ratio/quarter, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.08) but did not change after expansion (adjusted odds ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.02). Patterns were similar for other quality measures. There were no quality measures for which the rate of improvement sped up after expansion. In-hospital mortality rates remained similar during the preexpansion (adjusted odds ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.02) and postexpansion periods (adjusted odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-1.03). Among nonexpansion states, uninsured HF hospitalizations increased (11.6% to 16.7%) as did Medicaid HF hospitalizations (17.9% to 26.6%), and no quarterly improvement was observed for most quality measures in the post compared with preexpansion period. During the postexpansion period, defect-free care and mortality did not differ between expansion and nonexpansion states. CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid expansion was associated with a significant decline in uninsured HF hospitalizations but not improvements in quality of care or in-hospital mortality among sites participating in a national quality improvement initiative. Efforts beyond insurance expansion are needed to improve in-hospital outcomes for low-income patients with HF.

Informing Medicare's Two-Midnight Rule Policy With an Analysis of Hospital-Based Long Observation Stays.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Outpatient observation stays are increasingly substituting for standard inpatient hospitalizations. In 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adopted the controversial Two-Midnight Rule policy to curb long observation stays and better define the use of hospital-based observation services versus inpatient hospitalizations. We seek to determine the extent to which Medicare beneficiaries exposed to long observation stays (>48 hours) are clinically similar to those with short observation stays (≤48 hours) because this has relevance to the Two-Midnight Rule. METHODS: Using 100% Medicare claims data from 2008 to 2010, we identified all patients with long observation stays (>48 hours) who were admitted through the emergency department (ED). We report beneficiary characteristics, as well as crude and risk-adjusted 30-day rates of mortality, readmissions, and return ED visits stratified by observation stay length. RESULTS: Seven percent of 2.8 million observation stays were greater than 48 hours. Beneficiaries with long observation stays tended to be older, women, nonwhite, and urban residents, with a greater number of comorbid conditions. Crude rates increased with observation stay length for all 3 outcomes. However, after directly standardizing the rates, we observed the reverse trend because all adjusted rates decreased stepwise with observation stay length greater than 48 hours in a dose-response pattern. CONCLUSION: Patients with observation stays lasting longer than 48 hours are a clinically distinct population. Our findings support the conceptual underpinnings of the Two-Midnight Rule, but suggest that observation versus inpatient determinations should be based on actual length of stay rather than prospective prediction to reduce the administrative ambiguity this policy has created.

Psychiatric hospital treatment of youth with autism spectrum disorder in the United States: needs, outcomes, and policy.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are admitted to inpatient psychiatric units at markedly high rates. As health insurance companies and government healthcare systems and regulators seek more evidence for healthcare outcomes, it is important to learn more about the effectiveness of psychiatric inpatient admissions for children with ASD to best inform decisions on provision and access to this level of care. Evidence for models of inpatient treatment for youth with ASD is presented, and key characteristics and consensus recommendations for care are discussed.

The Burden of Guardianship: A Matched Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: In cases where patients are unable to provide informed consent and have no surrogate decisionmaker, a hospital must seek guardian appointment as a legally recognized surrogate decision-maker. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the magnitudes of length of stay (LOS) beyond medical clearance and healthcare costs among patients referred for guardianship. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all 61 adult inpatients in a single tertiary care hospital requiring guardianship between October 1, 2014, and September 30, 2015, matched with up to 3 controls from the same discharging services and hospitalized for at least as long as the date of clearance for referred patients. MEASUREMENTS: The following parameters were measured using generalized estimating equations: total LOS, LOS beyond medical clearance (excess LOS), medical complications, and total charges among referred patients, and the LOS and costs were compared with those of matched controls. RESULTS: Mean LOS for patients requiring guardianship was 31 ± 2 days, and the total charges averaged $179,243 ± 22,950. We documented 12 hospital-acquired complications in 10 (16%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8%-28%) unique patients. Accounting for potential confounders, the process of obtaining guardianship was associated with a 37% longer total LOS (95% CI [12%- 67%]; P = .002), 58% higher excess LOS (95% CI [2%- 145%]; P = .04), and 23% higher total charges (95% CI [4%-46%]; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In this single-center cohort study, the guardianship process was associated with prolonged hospital stay and higher total hospital charges even when compared with matched controls. Furthermore, one in six patients suffered from a hospital-associated complication after medical clearance.

Hospitalizations With Observation Services and the Medicare Part A Complex Appeals Process at Three Academic Medical Centers.

Hospitalists and other providers must classify hospitalized patients as inpatient or outpatient, the latter of which includes all observation stays. These orders direct hospital billing and payment, as well as patient out-of-pocket expenses. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) audits hospital billing for Medicare beneficiaries, historically through the Recovery Audit program. A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report identified problems in the hospital appeals process of Recovery Audit program audits to which CMS proposed reforms. In the context of the GAO report and CMS's proposed improvements, we conducted a study to describe the time course and process of complex Medicare Part A audits and appeals reaching Level 3 of the 5-level appeals process as of May 1, 2016 at 3 academic medical centers. Of 219 appeals reaching Level 3, 135 had a decision--96 (71.1%) successful for the hospitals. Mean total time since date of service was 1663.3 days, which includes mean days between date of service and audit (560.4) and total days in appeals (891.3). Government contractors were responsible for 70.7% of total appeals time. Overall, government contractors and judges met legislative timeliness deadlines less than half the time (47.7%), with declining compliance at successive levels (discussion, 92.5%; Level 1, 85.4%; Level 2, 38.8%; Level 3, 0%). Most Level 1 and Level 2 decision letters (95.2%) cited time-based (24-hour) criteria for determining inpatient status, despite 70.3% of denied appeals meeting the 24-hour benchmark. These findings suggest that the Medicare appeals system merits process improvement beyond current proposed reforms. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2017;12:251-255.

Day hospital and psychosocial care center: Expanding the discussion of partial hospitalization in mental health.

INTRODUCTION: Since the second half of the twentieth century the discussions about mental patient care reveal ongoing debate between two health care paradigms: the biomedical/biopsychosocial paradigm and the psychosocial paradigm. The struggle for hegemony over the forms of care, on how to deal optimally with the experience of becoming ill is underpinned by an intentionality of reorganizing knowledge about the health/disease dichotomy, which is reflected in the models proposed for the implementation of actions and services for the promotion, prevention, care and rehabilitation of human health. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the guidelines of care in mental health day hospitals (MHDH) in contrast to type III psychosocial care centers (CAPS III). METHOD: Review of mental health legislation from 1990 to 2014. RESULTS: A definition of therapeutic project could not be found, as well as which activities and techniques should be employed by these health services. CONCLUSION: The MHDH and PCC III are services that replace psychiatric hospital admission and are characterized by their complementarity in the care to the mentally ill. Due to their varied and distinctive intervention methods, which operate synergistically, the contributions from both models of care are optimized. Discussions on the best mental health care model reveal polarization between the biomedical/biopsychosocial and psychosocial paradigms. This reflects the supremacy of the latter over the former in the political-ideological discourse that circumscribes the reform of psychiatric care, which may hinder a better clinical outcome for patients and their families.

Day hospital and psychosocial care center: Expanding the discussion of partial hospitalization in mental health / Hospital-dia e Centro de Atenção Psicossocial: ampliando o debate da internação parcial em saúde mental

Summary Introduction: Since the second half of the twentieth century the discussions about mental patient care reveal ongoing debate between two health care paradigms: the biomedical/biopsychosocial paradigm and the psychosocial paradigm. The struggle for hegemony over the forms of care, on how to deal optimally with the experience of becoming ill is underpinned by an intentionality of reorganizing knowledge about the health/disease dichotomy, which is reflected in the models proposed for the implementation of actions and services for the promotion, prevention, care and rehabilitation of human health. Objective: To discuss the guidelines of care in mental health day hospitals (MHDH) in contrast to type III psychosocial care centers (CAPS III). Method: Review of mental health legislation from 1990 to 2014. Results: A definition of therapeutic project could not be found, as well as which activities and techniques should be employed by these health services. Conclusion: The MHDH and PCC III are services that replace psychiatric hospital admission and are characterized by their complementarity in the care to the mentally ill. Due to their varied and distinctive intervention methods, which operate synergistically, the contributions from both models of care are optimized. Discussions on the best mental health care model reveal polarization between the biomedical/biopsychosocial and psychosocial paradigms. This reflects the supremacy of the latter over the former in the political-ideological discourse that circumscribes the reform of psychiatric care, which may hinder a better clinical outcome for patients and their families.

Resumo Introdução: desde a segunda metade do século XX, as discussões em torno da assistência ao doente mental revelam o debate, ainda inacabado, entre dois paradigmas de atenção à saúde: o paradigma biomédico/biopsicossocial e o paradigma psicossocial. A luta pela hegemonia sobre as formas do cuidado, sobre a melhor maneira de lidar com a experiência do adoecimento, subjaz a uma intencionalidade de reorganização dos saberes sobre o binômio saúde/doença, que se reflete nos modelos propostos para a execução das ações e serviços de promoção, prevenção, assistência e reabilitação da saúde humana. Objetivo: problematizar as diretrizes do cuidado do Hospital-dia em Saúde Mental (HDSM) em contraste com o Centro de Atenção Psicossocial tipo III (CAPS III). Método: revisão da legislação em saúde mental entre 1990-2014. Resultados: não foi encontradas a definição de projeto terapêutico e as atividades e técnicas que devem ser empregadas por esses serviços de saúde. Conclusão: o HDSM e o CAPS III são serviços substitutivos à internação hospitalar psiquiátrica que se caracterizam pela complementaridade na atenção ao doente mental. Pelos seus variados e distintos métodos de intervenção, em ação sinérgica, potencializam-se com as contribuições tanto de um modelo quanto do outro modelo de atenção. As discussões em torno do melhor modelo de atenção em saúde mental mostram-se polarizadas entre os paradigmas biomédico/biopsicossocial e psicossocial, condição que reflete a supremacia do segundo sobre o primeiro no discurso político-ideológico que circunscreve a reforma da assistência psiquiátrica, fato que pode prejudicar o desfecho clínico para o paciente e sua família.

Observation Care: Ethical and Legal Considerations for the Emergency Physician.

BACKGROUND: The Medicare observation rules remain controversial despite Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revisions and the new 2-midnight rule. The increased financial risks for patients and heightened awareness of the rule have placed emergency physicians (EPs) at the center of the controversy. DISCUSSION: This article reviews the primary ethical and legal (particularly with respect to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) implications of the existing observation rule for EPs and offers practical solutions for EPs faced with counseling patients on the meaning and ramifications of the observation rule. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that while we believe it does not violate the intent of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act to respond to patient questions about their admission status, the observation rules challenge the ethical principles of transparency related to the physician-patient relationship and justice as fairness. Guidance for physicians is offered to improve transparency and patient fairness.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Quality of Health Care.

The annual National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports document widespread and persistent racial and ethnic disparities. These disparities result from complex interactions between patient factors related to social disadvantage, clinicians, and organizational and health care system factors. Separate and unequal systems of health care between states, between health care systems, and between clinicians constrain the resources that are available to meet the needs of disadvantaged groups, contribute to unequal outcomes, and reinforce implicit bias. Recent data suggest slow progress in many areas but have documented a few notable successes in eliminating these disparities. To eliminate these disparities, continued progress will require a collective national will to ensure health care equity through expanded health insurance coverage, support for primary care, and public accountability based on progress toward defined, time-limited objectives using evidence-based, sufficiently resourced, multilevel quality improvement strategies that engage patients, clinicians, health care organizations, and communities.

The 72-Hour Medicare Mandate After Total Joint Arthroplasty: Is This Medically Necessary?

INTRODUCTION: Currently, Medicare total joint arthroplasty patients are required to stay postoperatively 3 days in the hospital before discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). We evaluated Medicare's mandated 3-night hospital stay rule to find out how many total joint arthroplastic patients are safe for discharge to SNFs on postoperative day 2 (POD2). METHODS: This is a retrospective case series analyzing Medicare primary total hip or total knee arthroplastic patients at a single hospital over 1 year. Patients meeting 15 separate criteria by POD2 were considered safe for discharge home rather than to a SNF. RESULTS: Of 259 patients, 47.88% met discharge criteria to SNF POD2. 31.66% did not meet 1, 13.13% did not meet 2, and 6.95% did not meet ≥3 criteria on POD2. Common criteria delaying discharge were blood pressure abnormalities, increasing or elevated white blood cell count, cardiac abnormalities, and fever. Thirty-day readmission rate for patients in the group safe for discharge POD2 was 1.75%. CONCLUSION: Of the total, 47.88% of patients required to stay by the Medicare 3-night stay rule were safe for discharge to SNF on POD2 without an increase in readmission rate at 30 days when compared to our institutional mean.

Effect of a legal prime on clinician's assessment of suicide risk.

The present study evaluates how liability influences mental health clinicians' assessment of suicide risk. In this online vignette-based experiment, clinicians (N = 268) were either primed with a legal standard prior to a case vignette or presented the case vignette alone. Clinicians then rated the patient's likelihood of suicide and need for hospitalization. Results indicated that trainees provided significantly lower ratings of suicide risk following presentation of the legal standard, but this was not associated with hospitalization endorsement. Results have training and legal implications for improving the accuracy of suicide risk assessment in both trainees and licensed professionals.