Citation

Powell RE, Sacks CA. J. Gen. Intern Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Division of General Internal Medicine and Mongan Institute, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11606-020-05850-x

PMID

32410123

Abstract

Injury due to firearms is a serious health issue in the USA, leading to nearly 40,000 deaths annually and many more non-fatal injuries. Despite the significant impact on morbidity and mortality, relatively little research funding is dedicated to understanding the impact of firearm-related injury and to developing strategies to mitigate harm. In part, research has been stymied by decades-old language in federal legislation that was interpreted as prohibiting federal funding for firearm injury-related research. This paper, prepared by members of the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), calls for support for research that seeks to understand the nature of firearm-related injury and resources to develop effective approaches to prevent it. We outline recommendations to develop evidence to inform policymakers and the medical and public health communities. These recommendations include (1) development of a shared national research agenda to address firearm-related injury and death; (2) allocation of federal funds specifically for research related to firearm injury; (3) support for the career development of researchers studying firearm-related injury; and (4) facilitating access to comprehensive data sources needed for developing evidence.

Language: en

Keywords

firearm injury; health policy; research