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Pain and Spine Medicine

Implementation of Suicide Screenings and One-Year Follow-Up in a Veterans Affairs Chronic Pain Clinic

Thursday, October 23, 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MT
Location: Open Kiosks

    Primary Author(s)

  • VT

    Vanessa Tran, Other

    Research assistant
    University of California, Los Angeles
    Palos Verdes Estates, California

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Laura Q. Dinh

    Researcher
    University of California, Los Angeles
    Huntington Beach, California

  • Lida Bao, MSN, GNP-BC

    Pain Management Nurse Practitioner
    VA
    Los Angeles, California

  • Sanjog Pangarkar, MD

    Professor, Department of Medicine, UCLA
    VA Med Center/UCLA Med Center
    Los Angeles, California

  • EH

    Edward Hu, Other (he/him/his)

    Research assistant
    UCLA
    Los Angeles, California

  • RO

    Rebecca Ovsiowitz, MD

    Director of Inpatient Pain West Los Angeles VAMC
    UCLA
    Malibu, California

  • JL

    Jennifer Leet, MD

    PM&R Pain Attending Physician
    UCLA David Geffen SOM/ UCLA Medical Center/VA Greater Los Angeles Health
    Culver City, California

  • MP

    Melissa Phuphanich, MD

    Interventional Pain Attending
    Greater Los Angeles Veteran Affairs Healthcare System/ University of California Los Angeles
    Redondo Beach, California

    • Poster Presenter(s)

  • Quynh Giao Pham, MD

    Staff Physiatrist
    Department of Physical Medicine and Rehab (117) West Los Angeles VA Healthcare
    Los Angeles, California

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AO

    Amanda Ozuna, Other

    Social Worker
    VA
    Los Angeles, California

Disclosure(s):
Laura Q. Dinh: No financial relationships to disclose
Lida Bao, MSN, GNP-BC: No financial relationships to disclose
Sanjog Pangarkar, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Rebecca Ovsiowitz, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Background and/or Objectives: Veterans face suicide rates 1.5 times higher than the general population, with chronic pain serving as a significant risk factor. Early identification of suicide risk is essential for timely intervention. This study examines the feasibility of using the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) for suicide risk screening at initial visits and one-year follow-ups in a VA chronic pain clinic and the effectiveness of adding a tracker to improve follow up screening.

Design: A retrospective chart review was conducted for new patients seen in the chronic pain clinic between May 2022 and February 2025. A randomized sample was analyzed to assess C-SSRS documentation at both the initial visit and the one-year follow-up.

Setting : Veteran Affairs Healthcare System

Participants : Veterans evaluated in the Pain Management Service

Interventions: A tracking and alert system was introduced in 2024 to notify providers when follow-up screenings were due during subsequent visits.

Main Outcome Measures: Veterans completion of C-SSRS at initial visit and one year follow up

Results: Suicide risk screenings were completed for 100% of patients at their initial visit. However, follow-up completion rates fell below 10% for patients first seen in 2022. In response, a tracking and alert system was introduced in 2024 to notify providers when follow-up screenings were due during subsequent visits. This intervention significantly improved follow-up screening rates to 72%. Patients who did not complete follow-ups either declined screening or did not return to the clinic.

Conclusions: While initial suicide risk screenings were consistently conducted, follow-up rates were low without a structured tracking system. Many patients did not return for follow-up visits, leading to missed opportunities for reassessment. Implementing a tracking and alert system substantially increased one-year follow-up completion rates, underscoring its critical role in suicide prevention for veterans with chronic pain.