Care Transitions

Best Practices in Care Transitions

Research indicates that in the month after individuals leave inpatient psychiatric care, their suicide rate is 200 times higher than that of the general population. Similarly, nearly 70% of patients discharged from an emergency department after a suicide attempt never begin outpatient mental health treatment.  

All too often, these individuals fall through common gaps in care as they transition to outpatient treatment settings, resulting in increased suicide risk. 

Emergency Department Best Practices: Care Transitions for Individuals with Suicide Risk

When a patient has been discharged from the emergency department but is not yet connected to an outpatient provider, there is a gap in care at a time of increased risk.

To address the care gap between emergency departments and outpatient care, the Action Alliance’s Care Transitions Advisory Group convened a group of health care and suicide prevention experts to form the Emergency Department Subgroup (ED Subgroup).  

The Emergency Department Subgroup developed Emergency Department Best Practices: Care Transitions for Individuals with Suicide Risk (ED Best Practices), released in 2024, which provides recommendations specifically for care transitions from emergency departments to outpatient care. 

ED Best Practices provides clear, evidence-based recommendations to:

• Reduce the risk of repeat emergency department visits
• Ensure timely follow-care
• Connect individuals with resources and support

Best Practices in Care Transitions for Individuals with Suicide Risk: Inpatient Care to Outpatient Care

To help close these gaps that put individuals at increased risk for suicide after a psychiatric hospitalization, the Action Alliance (Care Transitions Advisory Group) developed Best Practices in Care Transitions for Individuals with Suicide Risk: Inpatient Care to Outpatient Care. 

Released in 2019, with the support of Universal Health Services (UHS) Behavioral Health Services, the report described evidence-based practices for improving clinical care and outcomes for people with a history of suicide risk during the critical period of transition from inpatient to outpatient care.

The Best Practices in Care Transitions report:

• Discussed the transition from behavioral health hospitalization to outpatient care as a unique phase in care.
• Presented evidence-based practices that have been shown to improve safety and continuity of care for patients during this transition.
• Provided recommendations specific to both inpatient and outpatient organizations and providers.

Inpatient Resources                                                                                                                                                                 

• An Inpatient Health Care Self-Assessment, which is designed to help inpatient providers assess their care transition policies and practices against each of the best practices outlined in the Best Practices in Care Transitions
• An Inpatient Care Transitions Action Planning template, which can be used by health care organizations to develop a comprehensive approach to improving their care transitions process    

Outpatient Resources

• An Outpatient Health Care Self-Assessment, which is designed to help outpatient providers assess their care transition policies and practices against each of the best practices outlined in the Best Practices in Care Transitions
• An Outpatient Care Transitions Action Planning template, which can be used by health care organizations and providers to develop a comprehensive approach to improving their care transitions process

Additional Resources

To facilitate the adoption of the report's findings, the Action Alliance also developed the following:

• Two-page executive summary, which provided an overview of the Best Practices in Care Transitions. 
• A care transitions video, which highlighted the importance of implementing best practices during this critical period of transition for individuals with suicide risk and a few strategies that inpatient and outpatient settings can adopt.  
• An infographic, which illustrated the key points from the Best Practices in Care Transitions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

“The transition from inpatient to outpatient behavioral health care is a critical period of time for individuals with a history of suicide risk, and for the health care systems and providers who serve them.” - National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, Best Practices in Care Transitions for Individuals with Suicide Risk: Inpatient Care to Outpatient Care