The Patient Safety Screener 3 (PSS-3) is a clinical calculator used in the field of mental health, specifically for patients who may be at risk for suicide. It is a brief, three-item screening tool designed to identify patients in healthcare settings who may be at risk for suicide or self-harm. The PSS-3 is typically used in emergency departments and inpatient medical/surgical units, but can be applied in any healthcare setting.
The clinical utility of the PSS-3 is to quickly identify patients who may be at risk for suicide, allowing for immediate intervention and referral to appropriate mental health services. It is not intended to be a comprehensive assessment of suicide risk, but rather a first step in identifying those who may need further evaluation.
There are no specific exclusion criteria for the use of the PSS-3. However, it should be noted that this tool is not designed to predict suicide or to be used as the sole method of assessing suicide risk. It should be used in conjunction with a comprehensive clinical assessment and judgement.
Reference
Edwin D Boudreaux, Michelle L Jaques, Kaitlyn M Brady et al. The patient safety screener: validation of a brief suicide risk screener for emergency department settings. Arch Suicide Res. 2015;19(2):151-60.
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