Zero is the perfect number

There's a really interesting thing going on in Detroit. The Henry Ford Health System came up with a plan for zero suicides, and actually achieved it two years in a row. How?

Some of the performance improvements in the program include:

* Establish a consumer advisory panel to help with the design of the program.
* Establish a protocol to assign patients into one of three levels of risk for suicide, each of which requires specific intervention.
* Provide training for all psychotherapists to develop competency in Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
* Implement a protocol for having patients remove weapons from the home.
* Establish three means of access for patients: drop-in group medication appointments, advanced (same-day) access to care or support and e-mail visits.
* Develop a website for patients to educate and assist patients.
* Require staff to complete a suicide prevention course.
* Set up a system for staff members to check in on patients by phone.
* Partner and educate the patient's family members.

Imagine if every health system could take the time to do this. It just looks like staff training, patient and family education, and easier access for the patients. I used to be on Kaiser, which had email visits, too, and that was so helpful. I could email my doctor and tell her how I was doing instead of having to go through the nurse helpline, which was awesome for quick questions. Access is one of the best things in healthcare. If you can get your doctor quickly, you're going to have better treatment success, in my opinion.