“Big Data” Algorithm May Help Clinicians More Reliably Identify Individuals At Increased Risk For Suicide

In continuing coverage, Forbes (6/16) contributor Todd Essig writes that in a study published online in the American Journal of Public Health, investigators from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Institutes of Health described the development of “a ‘big data’ algorithm allowing clinicians to more reliably identify those at increased risk for suicide.” Commenting on predictive modeling as a tool for identifying people at high risk for suicide, National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel, MD, said, “It’s particularly encouraging that these analyses use the types of data available to any large health care system.” He added, “These methods could help us prevent civilian as well as veteran suicides.”

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— “How ‘Big Data’ Can, And Can’t, Prevent Suicide,” Todd Essig, Forbes, June 15, 2015.

Posted in In The News.