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inside correctional health
Self-Assessment for Identifying Does the log include all Assess the Environment
Potential Challenges in components required by the Pull the mortality or death log
Your Facility NCCHC standard? at your facility and review the
Patient name or identifica- log for completeness.
Review Policy and Procedures tion number Check to see if psychological
Does your facility have poli- Age at time of death autopsies were completed
cies and procedures in place within 30 days post-suicide.
to conduct a thorough death Date of death Check to see if the clini-
review? One should include: Date of clinical mortality cal mortality reviews were
Clinical mortality within 30 review completed within 30 days
days of death Date of administrative post-death.
Administrative review con- review Check to see that an adminis-
ducted in conjunction with Cause of death (e.g., hang- trative review was conducted
custody staff ing, overdose, respiratory in conjunction with custody
Psychological autopsy failure) staff and that a thorough eval-
performed on any death Manner of death (e.g., uation or root cause analysis
by suicide within 30 days natural, suicide, homicide, was completed.
of the event to ensure the accidental)
safety of inmates who are Date when the pertinent Key Takeaways
acutely or non-acutely findings review(s) were Any issues that come up dur-
suicidal shared with staff ing your discussions might
Do the policies and proce- Date of psychological include opportunities for
dures address all aspects of autopsy completed, if policy, procedural or even
the NCCHC standard? applicable organizational changes.
Does the policy or procedure CQI process studies are a
address the implementation of Talk with Custody and the great way to understand spe-
a mortality log? Health Care Team cific root causes and can help
Does the procedure address Ask custody staff if they have to focus the improvement
staff responsibilities includ- been involved in an adminis- efforts where needed.
ing who will lead the review trative review. Talk with them Share what you learned with
in the event of staff turnover about the process according to your custody staff and the
(e.g., at the time of the death your policy. health care team.
and involvement in the death Ask the team if they have
review)? been trained on procedures
surrounding an inmate death.
Ask the team if they know
whom to call, when to call,
and how to document the
incident.
Ask the treating staff or cor-
rectional health staff if they
have been informed of all per-
tinent findings of all reviews.
Discuss the death-review
procedures with custody
and health staff to see if they
understand the process.
56 | JULY | AUGUST 2021 AMERICANJails
