Suicide is an unthinkable tragedy and nonprofit health plans are doing their part to aid in its prevention. HealthPartners’ Suicide Risk Calculator helps behavioral health case managers proactively reach out to members who may be at increased risk of suicide or self-harm.
The calculator, developed by researchers at HealthPartners Institute and two other U.S. groups, analyzes members’ health data for indications of depression, self-harm, substance use disorder or other drug use. The algorithm then predicts and identifies members at high risk of attempting suicide.
Between August 2019 and August 2020, the HealthPartners behavioral health team used the Suicide Risk Calculator to identify 500 members who they believed to be at elevated risk of attempting suicide. The team reaches out to identified members to talk about mental health issues and help them make connections to providers and other specialists for support.