CAMS-RAS: for Suicide Prevention (CAMS-RAS)

This Phase I feasibility study endeavors to create a prototype of a tool to determine its feasibility with suicidal patients in emergency departments (EDs). This is not a clinical trial. The overarching goal of this research is to create a tool that could reduce suicide rates, increase delivery of efficacious suicide interventions, and decrease overall costs associated with suicidal behaviors. SBIR Phase I project aims include: (1) creating an advisory board to guide the development of CAMS-RAS; (2) iteratively design and develop relational agent ("Dr. Dave") modeled after the gestures, expressions, and mannerisms of CAMS treatment developer, David Jobes, PhD; and (3) conduct feasibility tests to determine whether CAMS-RAS is acceptable, easy to use, and liked by target end-users: acutely suicidal patients admitted to hospital EDs, psychiatric inpatient units, and medical floors for treatment of injuries sustained during a suicide attempt; hospital medical personnel, administrators, and other stakeholders including peer advocates; and outpatient suicidal patients, clinicians and administrators.

Suicidality, Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality, Technology, Suicide Prevention, Suicide Intervention

In this single-arm study design, all enrolled patient participants are asked to provide feedback on the CAMS-RAS prototype as it is developed for this study. Feedback will be gathered via survey measure and interview.

A brief face-valid, self-report measure that the PI derived from the System Usability Scale and has been successfully used in previous studies. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert Scale (1=poor; 3=good; 5=excellent). Includes open-ended questions to better understand what was most and least helpful with respect to each category and also measures users' acceptance.

A semi-structured interview was conducted following use of the CAMS-RAS tool to assess users' likes, dislikes, and other preferences. Questions included: "What were your experiences in using 'Dr. Dave' and the CAMS-RAS system?" and "What suggestions would you have for improvement?" All subjects indicated that they found the tool helpful to them. They described the tool using adjectives similar to those used to describe "Nurse Louise" - a "discharge nurse" avatar on which the investigator's avatar was based: "He's kind and asks me really practical, helpful questions"; "He speaks to me directly in a compassionate way"; and "He is kind and invested".

After interacting with the technology (length: approximately 1 hour), subjects were then asked to complete the semi-structured interview conducted by the research assistant. On average, the interview lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Patient Inclusion Criteria: English fluency 18 years or older receiving clinical care in a hospital or outpatient clinic for suicidality Suicidal patients currently admitted to EDs, psychiatric inpatient units, and medical floors, or patient with past (last 6 months) suicidality receiving outpatient treatment Patient Exclusion Criteria: Acutely psychotic severely agitated (as determined by care team)

Requests for use of data will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Interested researchers may send data requests to research@ebpi.org.