Are Medical Records Truly Prepared for Malpractice Liability in Cases of Suicide? - Abstract
The most common reason for a malpractice claim is suicide or attempted suicide. It is argued that suicide can be prevented if the danger is recognized and proper and timely treatment is provided. Failure to make an informed decision as to whether to admit an individual to a psychiatric unit generally constitutes the initial breach in a claim of negligence. The present study was designed to identify exactly what essential data was missing from files of completed suicides, using 39 medical case records of the risk-management files of the state-owned malpractice insurance company between 2004 and 2022 in Israel. We found that a great deal of important information was missing from those files (e.g., records of previous suicide attempts, documentation of disagreement between the emergency department and the patient as to whether the individual should be hospitalized, and information regarding a history or lack thereof of suicidal tendencies in the individuals immediate family). Our study demonstrates that lacking the proper documentation of vital patient history, allegations of negligence would be very difficult to disprove.