Utilization review of treatment of suicide attempters: chart review as patient care evaluation.

The authors reviewed the charts of 36 nonhospitalized suicide attempters who were identified by utilization review as requiring hospitalization. In 16 of the cases, the authors judged the treatment given to have been adequate because of an absence of a history of psychiatric treatment and/or the rapidity with which outpatient treatment was instiituted. Ten of the cases were judged to have been inadequately treated. This finding pointed to have been inadequately treated. This finding pointed to specific deficiencies in the training of residents and the delivery of psychiatric services and illustrates how chart review can be used to upgrade psychiatric care.