Standards and guidelines such as the FGI Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities are excellent resources to illuminate best practices. As part of a robust and comprehensive patient-safety risk assessment in pre-project planning, it is important to weigh the level of precaution necessary to reduce the risk of patient self-harm.

The design challenge faced is in balancing patient safety without negatively impacting the creation of a therapeutic environment that is conducive to patient healing and recovery. Nonetheless, as the data shows, the preponderance of inpatient suicide by hanging is an area requiring increased focus and action.

No product can or should claim to be “suicide proof.” That said, ligature-resistant products and systems can hopefully reduce the incidence of self-harm.

Photo Courtesy of Inpro.

Betsy Lewandowski is a Senior Product Manager for Inpro®, an industry leader in interior and exterior architectural products. In her 17 years with Inpro, Betsy has worked on sales and product teams in Inpro’s Signage, Wall Protection and Privacy System/Window Treatment divisions. She currently focuses on providing standard and custom product options and solutions to best fit a project’s needs for privacy systems and window treatments across many different industries, with careful consideration for the unique demands of commercial environments. Betsy holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, is a LEED® Green Associate and earned her Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC). She also is an Associate Member of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).