TY - JOUR T1 - Physician Involvement in Promoting Gun Safety JF - The Annals of Family Medicine JO - Ann Fam Med SP - 262 LP - 264 DO - 10.1370/afm.2516 VL - 18 IS - 3 AU - Nicholas Darshan Tolat AU - Bindi Jayendra Naik-Mathuria AU - Amy Lynn McGuire Y1 - 2020/05/01 UR - http://www.annfammed.org/content/18/3/262.abstract N2 - Firearm-related deaths are on the rise in the United States, especially among our youth. Tragically, proper firearm storage and safety could have prevented a great number of these deaths. Professional and public health organizations have thus encouraged physicians to provide direct patient counseling on firearm safety. Yet, even with these recommendations, the majority of physicians are still not talking to their patients about this issue. There may be many reasons for this, including concerns about liability, feeling unprepared, patient discomfort, and lack of time during office visits. Despite these concerns, we argue that physicians have an ethical obligation to discuss firearm safety with their patients. Making these discussions a part of routine clinical care would go a long way in the bipartisan effort to protect public safety and improve public health. ER -