Physician assistants training on firearm injury prevention

The purpose of this study was to assess physician assistant training programs incorporation of firearm injury prevention training in their curricula. Also, content of such programs as well as perceived benefits and barriers of providing such training were explored.

A three-wave postal mailing of a 24-item questionnaire was sent to the population (n=145) of physician assistant program directors.

The majority (77%) of directors responded. The majority (81.3%) reported they had not seriously thought about providing such training (pre-contemplation). The three most important barriers to providing firearm injury prevention training were: lack of time, lack of faculty expertise on the topic, and lack of standardized teaching materials. Those programs that offered training averaged one-half hour. Yet, 77.7% thought that firearm injuries were a very large or large problem to the health and wellbeing of the U.S. population.

There is a paucity of professional training for physician assistants regarding firearm injury prevention. It appears unlikely that physician assistants are playing a role in helping to reduce one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., firearm trauma. The American Academy of Physician Assistants needs to take the lead in improving training in this area for physician assistants.

Physician Assistant training program directors should consider offering firearm injury prevention training to help reduce patient suicides and homicides.