Firearm Safety Screening in the Pediatric Hospital Setting: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Firearm injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for US youth. Secure storage is protective against firearm injuries in children. Despite this evidence and national recommendations, rates of firearm safety screening among pediatric providers are low, particularly in the inpatient setting. Therefore, we aimed to increase the frequency of firearm safety screening among patients admitted to the Pediatric Hospital Medicine service.

This project occurred in a tertiary pediatric hospital with a medium-sized pediatric residency program. The initial intervention was a firearm safety screening tool embedded into the electronic health record history and physical note template. Subsequent interventions included nursing education, monthly reminder emails, and gun violence discussions during intern orientation. Patients who screened positive were provided with educational materials and a free gun lock. Data collection occurred by chart review to determine the frequency of screening documentation in the H&P. A survey was also conducted among pediatric residents to identify persistent barriers to screening.

The percentage of inpatient firearm safety screening increased from 0.01% to 39% over 25 months, with a centerline shift noted after 2 months. Residents cited a lack of time with the patient and a belief that it was not the appropriate time to screen as persistent barriers to screening.

This study identified an effective approach to improving firearm safety screening in an academic pediatric hospital. Hospitalization represents a unique opportunity for firearm safety screening and counseling, and inpatient providers should feel empowered to intervene in this setting.