Citation

Bostwick JM. Rambam Maimonides Med. J. 2015; 6(2): e0013.

Affiliation

Professor of Psychiatry, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Rambam Heath Care Campus)

DOI

10.5041/RMMJ.10197

PMID

25973265

Abstract

Suicidal phenomena in the general hospital can take a variety of forms that can be parsed by taking into account whether or not the patient 1) intended to hasten death, and 2) included collaborators, including family and health care providers, in the decision to act. These two criteria can be used to distinguish entities as diverse as true suicide, non-compliance, euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide, and hospice/palliative care. Characterizing the nature of "suicide" events facilitates appropriate decision-making around management and disposition.

Language: en