A recent study showed clinical notes may indicate whether a patient is at a high risk for suicide, according to iMedical Apps.
Here are five notes:
1. Researchers analyzed de-identified clinical notes of patients who committed suicide and those who didn't through comparing linguistic cues.
2. The linguistic cue had notes suggesting suicide risk such as distancing language. The use of first-person and second-person pronouns indicates interpersonal closeness. Third-person pronouns, on the other hand, indicate interpersonal distance.
3. The emotional distance found in the linguistic cues can be conceptualized as an unconscious effort that clinicians use to spare themselves from the emotional trauma they associate with the suicide of a patient.
4. Words clinicians use to describe a patient's behavior like "agitation," are markers for suicide risk. Other behavioral descriptions include feeling frightened and experiencing psychotic symptoms such as delusions.
5. Many medical apps are devised to combat suicide such as covered Suicide Safe, an app by HHS and SAMSHA.
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