Suicide among veterans is a problem nationally, and suicide prevention remains a high priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Focusing suicide prevention initiatives in the emergency department setting provides reach to veterans who may not be seen in mental health and targets a critical risk period, transitions in care following discharge. Caring Contacts is a simple and efficacious suicide prevention approach that could be used to target this risk period. The purpose of this study is to (1) adapt Caring Contacts for use in a VA emergency department, (2) conduct a pilot program at a single VA emergency department, and (3) create an implementation toolkit to facilitate spread of Caring Contacts to other VA facilities. This project includes planning activities and a pilot at a VA emergency department. Planning activities will include determining available data sources, determining logistics for identifying and sending Caring Contacts, and creating an implementation toolkit. We will conduct qualitative interviews with emergency department staff and other key stakeholders to gather data on what is needed to adapt and implement Caring Contacts in a VA emergency department setting and possible barriers to and facilitators of implementation. An advisory board of key stakeholders in the facility will be created. Qualitative findings from interviews will be presented to the advisory board for discussion, and the board will use these data to inform decision making regarding implementation of the pilot. Once the pilot is underway, the advisory board will convene again to discuss ongoing progress and determine if any changes are needed to the implementation of the Caring Contacts intervention. Findings from the current project will inform future scale-up and spread of this innovation to other VA medical center emergency departments across the network and other networks. The current pilot will adapt Caring Contacts, create an implementation toolkit and implementation guide, evaluate the feasibility of gathering outcome measures, and provide information about what is needed to implement this evidence-based suicide prevention intervention in a VA emergency department.

中文翻译：

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在退伍军人事务部急诊部门调整和实施关怀联系人：试点研究方案

退伍军人自杀是全国性的问题，预防自杀仍然是退伍军人事务部 (VA) 的重中之重。重点关注急诊科环境中的自杀预防举措，可以帮助那些可能在心理健康方面看不到的退伍军人，并针对关键风险期，出院后的护理过渡。关怀接触是一种简单有效的自杀预防方法，可用于针对这一风险期。本研究的目的是 (1) 调整关怀联系人以在 VA 急诊科使用，(2) 在单个 VA 急诊科开展试点计划，以及 (3) 创建一个实施工具包，以促进关怀联系人的传播其他 VA 设施。该项目包括计划活动和 VA 急诊科的试点。规划活动将包括确定可用的数据源、确定识别和发送关怀联系人的后勤工作，以及创建实施工具包。我们将与急诊科工作人员和其他主要利益相关者进行定性访谈，以收集有关在 VA 急诊科环境中调整和实施关怀接触所需的数据以及实施的可能障碍和促进者。将成立一个由该设施主要利益相关者组成的咨询委员会。访谈的定性结果将提交咨询委员会讨论，委员会将使用这些数据为有关试点实施的决策提供信息。试飞开始后，顾问委员会将再次召开会议，讨论正在进行的进展，并确定是否需要对关怀接触干预的实施进行任何更改。当前项目的结果将为未来扩大规模并将这项创新传播到整个网络和其他网络的其他 VA 医疗中心急诊科提供信息。当前的试点将调整关爱联系人，创建实施工具包和实施指南，评估收集结果措施的可行性，并提供有关在 VA 急诊科实施这种基于证据的自杀预防干预所需的信息。当前项目的结果将为未来扩大规模并将这项创新传播到整个网络和其他网络的其他 VA 医疗中心急诊科提供信息。当前的试点将调整关爱联系人，创建实施工具包和实施指南，评估收集结果措施的可行性，并提供有关在 VA 急诊科实施这种基于证据的自杀预防干预所需的信息。当前项目的结果将为未来扩大规模并将这项创新传播到整个网络和其他网络的其他 VA 医疗中心急诊科提供信息。当前的试点将调整关爱联系人，创建实施工具包和实施指南，评估收集结果措施的可行性，并提供有关在 VA 急诊科实施这种基于证据的自杀预防干预所需的信息。