Consensus-Driven Priorities for Firearm Injury Education Among Medical Professionals

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Education
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Firearm injury is a major cause of death and disability in the U.S.
• Medical training often lacks comprehensive firearm injury education.
• There is a critical need to equip healthcare professionals with knowledge and skills in firearm injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To convene national experts to develop consensus on priorities for firearm injury education in health professions.
• To inform the creation of learning objectives and curricula for medical professionals.
• To address the gap in current medical education regarding firearm injury.

Main Methods:

• Convened a diverse advisory group of 33 clinicians, researchers, and educators in 2019.
• Utilized the nominal group technique to achieve consensus on educational priorities.
• Included idea generation, facilitated discussion, and prioritized ranking of ideas.

Main Results:

• Developed the first national consensus guidelines for firearm injury education for medical professionals.
• Established crosscutting, basic, and advanced learning objectives.
• Identified 7 contextual categories for education: general priorities, intimate partner violence, mass violence, officer-involved shootings, peer violence, suicide, and unintentional injury.

Conclusions:

• Consensus-driven priorities provide a framework for developing effective firearm injury education.
• Improved education enhances clinician competence and self-efficacy in addressing firearm injury.
• Better-informed clinicians can lead to improved firearm injury prevention initiatives at the bedside and in communities.