Training in firearm safety counseling in pediatric residency programs
J. H. Price, P. M. Conley and L. Oden
Department of Health Promotion, University of Toledo, Ohio, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the status of formal training in pediatric residency
programs with regard to firearm safety counseling. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING:
Pediatric residency programs of the coterminous United States (N = 209).
PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: The population of pediatric residency
program directors. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A national
baseline assessment of the proportion of pediatric residency programs with
formal training on firearm safety counseling. In addition, the content
taught, methods of provision, barriers to offering such training, and
resources that could increase the number of programs offering such
training. RESULTS: The response rate of the residency directors was 77%.
One third of the residency programs offered formal firearm safety
counseling training. Sixty-five percent of the respondents strongly agreed
that it is the pediatrician's responsibility to counsel on this topic. Few
residency directors (19%) perceived that firearm safety counseling would be
effective in reducing the number of accidental firearm injuries or deaths.
The 3 resources most frequently identified that, if available, would
increase the amount of time residencies would spend on training were video
training programs (64%), patient education materials (62%), and a
curriculum guide (55%). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians have a vested interest
in preventing childhood firearm violence. Yet, fewer than half of the
residency directors believed that firearm issues be given high priority in
residency programs. The barriers to providing such training (eg, no trained
personnel and lack of educational resources) should not be major
impediments to resolving this health problem.
