Citation

Silver AH, Tishberg L, Bhansali P. J. Grad. Med. Educ. 2024; 16(2): 119-123.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education)

DOI

10.4300/JGME-D-23-00689.1

PMID

38993310

PMCID

PMC11234307

Abstract

Firearm injuries are currently the leading cause of death of 1-to-19-year-olds in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle injuries as the leading cause of death in 2020.1,2 The United States is the only country among its peer nations where children die more often from firearms than motor vehicle-related injuries and cancer.3 Many firearm-related injuries or deaths are impulsive in older children or unintentional in younger children, meaning a significant proportion may be preventable with safe firearm storage.4 Safe storage is a national priority and strongly encouraged by major health organizations.5 Since 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that pediatricians counsel families on firearm injury prevention (FIP).6 In 2022, the AAP advocated for a multipronged harm reduction approach to FIP, anticipatory guidance being a key component.1 The AAP further recommends education for clinicians, including trainees, in injury epidemiology and techniques for providing guidance to prevent firearm injury and death, including safe storage.1 Organizations such as the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians, the American Osteopathic Association, and others advocate for measures to reduce this public health crisis.7

Physicians should counsel patients and families on FIP, but their ability to do so requires training. Residency represents a critical time of competency training to acquire appropriate counseling skills. In 1997, Price et al published a study of pediatric residency program directors (PDs) assessing the proportion of residency programs with formal training in FIP counseling.8 To our knowledge, there have not been any assessments of firearm injury prevention training in residency programs since this study. Several studies since demonstrate that while residents agree physicians have a duty to counsel families about FIP, they rarely feel confident enough and rarely do.9-11 However, pediatric residents with formal training, (web-based, workshop-based, or in-person/in-clinic training) report more confidence and ability to provide FIP counseling. ...

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Child; *Firearms; *Internship and Residency; *Wounds, Gunshot/prevention & control