A machine learning algorithm that predicts suicide attempt has undergone a prospective trial at the institution where it was developed, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The algorithm uses routine information from electronic health records to calculate the 30-day risk of return visits for a suicide attempt and suicidal ideation.
For every 271 people identified in the highest predicted risk group, one returned for treatment for a suicide attempt, a number that is on par with numbers needed to screen for problems like abnormal cholesterol and certain cancers, the team noted.