Evaluation of Hospital Implementation of a Mandate to Report Gunshot Wounds to Law Enforcement

This study examined the implementation of a state law in the southern United States that required hospitals to report gunshot wounds (GSWs) to law enforcement by exploring changes in the proportion of reported GSW cases in a level 1 trauma center. In the first year of implementation, 95.7% of the GSW admissions who arrived via a private vehicle or walked in were reported to law enforcement; this decreased to 71.9% in the second year. Patient demographics did not predict whether GSWs would be reported, but GSWs in transfer patients were less likely to be reported. This case study shows evidence that mandatory reporting may be feasible but hospitals may need additional support and communication infrastructure to implement and maintain adherence to laws mandating reporting of GSWs.