Physician Involvement in Promoting Gun Safety

The Article in Brief

Physician Involvement in Promoting Gun Safety

Amy Lynn McGuire , and colleagues

Background As strategies to curb gun violence at the federal level have stalled, leaders in primary care and health policy have identified the role doctors can play in national gun safety efforts and the prevention of firearm suicide.

What This Study Found Amy Lynn McGuire and colleagues at the Baylor College of Medicine and the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, identify barriers that doctors face in addressing the issue of gun safety and violence with patients. State-level legislation has attempted to prohibit physicians from inquiring about a patient�s firearm ownership, resulting in long lasting fears of a "gag order" heightening physicians' concerns over potential liability. Additionally, physicians may be concerned that discussing firearm safety could break the trust they establish in the doctor-patient relationship.

Implications

• The authors advocate that discussions about gun safety and violence become a standard component of routine clinical care to step up the effort to protect public safety and improve public health.