Citation

Radant LJ, Johnson TM. WMJ Wis. Med. J. 2003; 102(4): 46-50.

Affiliation

University of Wisconsin, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Wisconsin Medical Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12967022

Abstract

National surveys have reported information on firearm ownership and storage practices, but primary care physicians question whether such information can be generalized to their communities and the patient populations they serve. In this study, an anonymous survey was distributed to 100 consecutive patients in 11 primary care clinics throughout Wisconsin. Demographic information and information on the patient's willingness to have firearm safety discussed as part of their routine care, firearm ownership in the household, firearm storage practices, and the patient's purpose for owning firearms were collected. The study found that patients were willing to answer anonymous survey questions about firearm ownership and storage in their homes. The most effective screening question on gun safety was whether firearms were kept in the home for personal protection. Patients at rural clinics were more likely to own firearms than patients in urban clinics. Keeping firearms for recreational purposes was more common than keeping them for personal protection, which was associated with unsafe storage practices. A majority of patients reported not wanting to receive information on firearm safety from their physician. Overall, the study found that it was not possible to generalize national information on firearm ownership and storage to surveyed patients of primary care clinics in Wisconsin.