Table 3.

The medicolegal SVAT: Recommendations for minimum recorded data related to the decedent's life history.

Categories	Assessments	Data
Housing Security	Did they have a safe, stable place to sleep and store their possessions?	Y/N/Unknown
	What was the zip code of their primary residence?	Zip code
	How long did they live or stay there?	# weeks, months, years
	Was the residence clean, quiet, and protected?	Y/N/U
	Was the residence overcrowded?	Y/N/U
	(For children) Was there a safe, age-appropriate sleeping space?	Y/N/U
Financial Security	Did they make enough money to live comfortably? How did they make money? Did they have a hard time doing this work? Did they receive any forms of government assistance? Did they depend on anyone else for income? Were they unable to pay for medical care or prescriptions?	Y/N/Unknown Y/N/U Occupation title Y/N/U Y/N/U Y/N/U
Risk Environments	Were the places where they spent their time each day safe and healthy? Were they exposed to violence (one-time incident or regularly)? Were they exposed to regular drug use and criminal activity? Did they themselves use alcohol or substances? Were they exposed to any toxins or chemicals in their day-to-day environment? Did they experience partner violence (i.e., physical, financial, emotional)?	Y/N/Unknown Y/N/U Type and duration Y/N/U Type and duration Y/N/U Type and duration Y/N/U Type and duration Y/N/U Type and duration
Food Access	Did they have adequate nutrition and access to healthy food?	Y/N/Unknown
Social Network	Did they have a supportive community (i.e., friends, family, or other people)? Did they have a primary care provider/other health professional?	Y/N/Unknown Y/N/U
Legal Status	Did they encounter legal problems? Were they ever arrested and/or incarcerated? Were they undocumented or in fear of deportation?	Y/N/Unknown Y/N/U Y/N/U
Education	What level of education had they reached? What language(s) could they read or write?	Y/N/Unknown Y/N/U
Recovery Context	Where was the decedent recovered?	Zip Code/GPS Coord.
	Indoors or outdoors?	Indoors/Outdoors
	What was the nature of the scene (e.g., private residence, public space, clandestine grave)?	Describe
	Relevant contextual information (e.g., if a motor vehicle accident, was decedent a driver, pedestrian, biker, or passenger?)	Describe (and/or link with Investigation Narrative, Scene Report, etc.)
	Were personal effects or other materials present?	Y/N/U Describe (and/or link with list of property, etc.)