What Can I Do as a Physician to Prevent Firearm Injury?
Authors: James S. Kahn
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Editorials20 November 2018What Can I Do as a Physician to Prevent Firearm Injury?James S. Kahn, MDJames S. Kahn, MDStanford University School of Medicine and VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California (J.S.K.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M18-2756 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail This issue of Annals includes an important position paper from the American College of Physicians on reducing firearm injuries and deaths in the United States (1). The updated policy paper and its appendix provide a mountain of evidence on the serious, epidemic-level crisis of firearm violence. Firearm-related violent death is an extraordinary problem (2) made even more alarming by the prevalence of guns in the households of persons with dementia (3) and the variation in firearm injuries related to racial disparities (4). Yet, many physicians have been unengaged or silent during this epidemic. Why? Perhaps we think firearm violence is ...References1. Butkus R, Doherty R, Bornstein SS; Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians. Reducing firearm injuries and deaths in the United States: a position paper from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169:704-7. doi:10.7326/M18-1530 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Taichman DB, Bauchner H, Drazen JM, Laine C, Peiperl L. Firearm-related injury and death: a U.S. health care crisis in need of health care professionals. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167:824-5. [PMID: 29052714]. doi:10.7326/M17-2657 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Spangenberg KB, Wagner MT, Hendrix S, Bachman DL. Firearm presence in households of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1999;47:1183-6. [PMID: 10522950] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Riddell CA, Harper S, Cerdá M, Kaufman JS. Comparison of rates of firearm and nonfirearm homicide and suicide in black and white non-Hispanic men, by U.S. state. Ann Intern Med. 2018;168:712-20. [PMID: 29710093] doi:10.7326/M17-2976 LinkGoogle Scholar5. Morgan ER, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Azrael D, Miller M. Public perceptions of firearm- and non–firearm-related violent death in the United States: A national study. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169:734-7. doi:10.7326/M18-1533 LinkGoogle Scholar6. Betz ME, Azrael D, Barber C, Miller M. Public opinion regarding whether speaking with patients about firearms is appropriate: results of a national survey. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:543-50. [PMID: 27455516]. doi:10.7326/M16-0739 LinkGoogle Scholar7. Betz ME, Ranney ML, Wintemute GJ. Physicians, patients, and firearms: the courts say “yes”. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166:745-6. [PMID: 28265644]. doi:10.7326/M17-0489 LinkGoogle Scholar8. Violence Prevention Research Program. Frequently Asked Questions. What You Can Do. 2018. Accessed at www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/vprp/WYCD/FAQs.html on 28 September 2018. Google Scholar9. Wintemute GJ. What you can do to stop firearm violence. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167:886-7. [PMID: 29049506]. doi:10.7326/M17-2672 LinkGoogle Scholar10. Wintemute GJ, Betz ME, Ranney ML. Yes, you can: physicians, patients, and firearms. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:205-13. [PMID: 27183181]. doi:10.7326/M15-2905 LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Stanford University School of Medicine and VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California (J.S.K.)Financial Support: By Stanford Clinical and Translational Science Award UL1 TR001085.Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-2756.Corresponding Author: James S. Kahn, MD, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue, Mail Code 111, Palo Alto, CA 94304; e-mail, [email protected]edu.This article was published at Annals.org on 30 October 2018. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoReducing Firearm Injuries and Deaths in the United States: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians Renee Butkus , Robert Doherty , Sue S. Bornstein , and Public Perceptions of Firearm- and Non–Firearm-Related Violent Death in the United States: A National Study Erin R. Morgan , Ali Rowhani-Rahbar , Deborah Azrael , and Matthew Miller Metrics Cited byFirearm Injury Prevention: AFFIRMing That Doctors Are in Our LaneDarren Taichman, MD, PhD, Sue S. Bornstein, MD, and Christine Laine, MD, MPH 20 November 2018Volume 169, Issue 10Page: 725-726KeywordsBehaviorChildrenFirearm injuriesHealth careHomicidePerceptionSafetySuicideTouchViolent crime ePublished: 30 October 2018 Issue Published: 20 November 2018 PDF downloadLoading ...