Abstract:
A sentinel event reduction door comprises a trapezoidally-shaped panel comprising four sides. A continuous hinge is connected to the panel along substantially the full length of a first side thereof. A second side of the panel is adjacent to the first side, wherein the angle defined by the intersection of the first and second sides of the panel is an acute angle. A third side of the panel, the side opposite the side of the panel from the first side, may comprise a pliable material attached thereto.

Description:
[0001]     The present invention relates to a door/doorway system adapted to significantly reduce or eliminate the occurrence of sentinel events in medical facilities. Specifically, the invention is directed to a door having a particular construction that enables patient privacy but that still reduces or eliminates the physical means for a patient to hang him/herself.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Numerous medical facilities are directed full or part time to patients at risk for committing suicide, specifically, by hanging. These suicides, referred to in the industry as sentinel events, often occur in the bathroom of the medical facility were a patient is able to have some privacy. Showerheads, curtain rods, bathroom hooks, and other bathroom hardware have all been converted to break-away devices or other tools to enable a patient to harm themselves or possibly commit suicide. A typical public bathroom may have stall partition walls. These stall partitions themselves pose a threat even if not dismantled. A further significant cause or facilitator of sentinel events is bathroom doors.  
         [0003]     Public use bathrooms typically include bathrooms stalls. These stalls include partitions that use bars for rigidity. But even if partitions are removed and replaced with solid walls, or in any bathroom having a door, the doors themselves can be used as a platform or location for holding a belt or a piece of clothing. Inherently, every bathroom on a unit cannot be watched at the same time without enormous staff resources. Therefore, bathrooms, and specifically bathroom doors, provide an area of opportunity for a sentinel event for patients at risk for suicide. To date, the problems of sentinel events in bathrooms are typically addressed by removing all stall hardware and doors. While this reduces opportunities for sentinel events, it likewise eliminates all privacy that a patient may have.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing drawbacks and address the problems described above. The bathroom door described herein has been engineered so that any attempt to use it as a hanging platform will fail. Nothing can hang off the door or be wedged between the door and the doorway without sliding off or falling, because all foreseeable hanging points are removed.  
         [0005]     In one example, a sentinel event reduction door comprises a trapezoidally-shaped panel comprising four sides. A continuous hinge is connected to the panel along substantially the full length of a first side thereof. The first side defines a substantially straight line. A second side of the panel adjacent the first side defines a substantially straight line, wherein the angle defined by the intersection of the first and second sides of the panel is an acute angle, and a third side of the panel, substantially parallel to and on the opposite angle. A third side of the panel, substantially parallel to and on the opposite side of panel from the first side, comprises a pliable material attached thereto.  
         [0006]     In another alternative, a sentinel event reduction system comprises a door frame defining a door way, and a door hung on the door frame. The door comprises a trapezoidally-shaped panel comprising four sides. A continuous hinge is connected to the panel along substantially the full length of a first side thereof, the first side defining a substantially straight line. A top side of the panel is adjacent the first side, the top side defining a substantially straight line. The angle defined by the intersection of the first and top sides of the panel is an acute angle. The door way has a length and width that are larger than the greatest length and width defined by the door panel, and further wherein openings are defined by the top of the door and the door frame and by the bottom of the door and the door frame. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sentinel event reduction system in which the door is shown in an open position.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of a sentinel event reduction system showing the door in the closed position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]     In general terms, a sentinel event reduction system is described herein. The system includes a uniquely-engineered door that is hung in a door frame for use particularly in facilities where there are at risk patients who may hurt themselves or attempt suicide. The door is hung in any conventional door frame. The door has an angled top and a continuous hinge. Further, in at least some examples, a pliable material is attached to the opposite side of the door from the hinge side of the door. The door is dimensioned so that there are substantial openings above and below the door between the door and the door frame.  
         [0010]     Turning now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the sentinel event reduction system  10  is shown with a door  20  mounted onto one side of a door frame  15 . The complete doorway is defined by the door frame  15  and the floor  17 . The door  20  is trapezoidally-shaped. A first side of the door  25  is adjacent to and hanging on the door frame  15 . The first side  25  includes a continuous hinge  26  that attaches the door  20  onto the door frame  15 . This first side  25  of the door  20  is substantially straight to enable the operation of a conventional hinge along substantially the entire length of the first side.  
         [0011]     A second or top side  30  of the door  20  is adjacent the first side  25 . An acute angle  31  is formed by the intersection of the first side  25  and top side  30  of the door  20 . The size of the acute angle  31  is, in one example, between about 45° and 65°. In one example, the acute angle is about 55°. Functionally, it is important that this acute angle  31  create such a slope on the top side  30  of the door  20  as to not allow anything to hang from it without sliding off. The door  20  is made of one or more panel components, and it may be made of any available materials such as metal, wood or plastic, or composites thereof. The functionality of the acute angle  31  may be enhanced with a door material having a low coefficient of friction such as Formica, metal or other smooth polymer material. Also, this top side  30  may be beveled or rounded (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) to enhance the functionality of making it difficult to hang anything on it. The top side  30  is shown in the figures as being substantially straight. Prominent curves along the top side  30  may create flat portions or sections (at least substantially parallel with the floor) that could form a hanging point. Realistically, the top  30  of the door  20  may include some minimal curvature as long as it is sloped across the width of the door so that there is no creation of a hanging point, and the term “substantially straight line” to describe the top side includes slight curvatures.  
         [0012]     The third side  35  of the door  20  is opposite the first side  25 . The third side  35  is generally parallel to the first side  25  to fit into a conventional, rectangular doorway. The width of the door  20  is less than the width of the doorway so that nothing may be jammed by a patient between the door frame  15  and the third side  35  to form a hanging point. In one example there is at least about a three inch gap between the door frame  15  and the third side  35 . To enhance the privacy for a patient or user, it is possible to attach a pliable material  36  along the length of the third side  35 . This pliable material  36  creates privacy along that gap between the third side  35  and the door frame  15 . However, the pliable material  36  is soft enough that a patient cannot use it as a wedge for creating a hanging point. The pliable  36  material may be a rubber gasket, as shown, or it may be brush material or anything pliable and soft.  
         [0013]     The fourth side  38  of the door  20  is the bottom of the door and is shown as perpendicular to the first and third sides,  25  and  35  respectively, and is generally parallel to floor  17 . The fourth side  38  is shown as a straight line. This fourth side  38  may be any line that does not facilitate the opportunity for a sentinel event or otherwise formation of a hanging point. Like the tope side  30 , the fourth side  38  may be beveled or rounded to enhance the functionality of making it difficult to look anything on it.  
         [0014]     There is no hardware shown in the sentinel event reduction system  10  other than the continuous hinge  26  and the screws  37  that attach the gasket  36  to the third side  35 . The use of a door handle presents an opportunity for creating a hanging point. If any additional hardware is desired then it must not create any opportunity for formation of a hanging point.  
         [0015]     As shown, the doorway defined by the door frame  15  and floor  17  is a conventional rectangular shape. Alternatively, there could be a rounded top or other angled components that make up the doorway. Functionally, it is important that the doorway defined by the door frame  15  and floor  17  is wider and higher than a door as discussed herein. When door  20  is mounted in the door way, openings  40  and  45  are defined below and above the door. These openings  40  and  45  prevent a patient from stuffing a belt, sheet, clothing, shoestring, etc. above or below the door in order to create a hanging point. The top opening  45  is, in one example, at least about 12 inches in height across the entire width of the doorway. As shown, the top opening  45  has a narrowest point where the first side  25  of the door  20  is mounted onto the frame  15 . This height is at least about twelve inches, and obviously the height of the opening  45  increases when moving across the width of the door  20 . The bottom opening  40  is at least about six inches in height across its width as shown in the figures.  
         [0016]     The door and system described herein can be part of an overall sentinel event plan that may be instituted. In order to reduce the opportunities for a sentinel event, the door described herein may be installed in place of other conventional door constructions. At the same time, rather than removing a door all together, the door described herein preserves the privacy and dignity of a patient when using a bathroom.  
         [0017]     While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous variations, modifications and additional embodiments are possible, and all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the invention.