Creating an Effective Handgun Safety Curriculum for Emergency Physicians

Emergency physicians are among the healthcare providers most likely to encounter firearms in clinical settings. There are gaps in assessing whether emergency physicians possess the necessary skills to safely manage and secure an unexpected firearm found on a patient.

This study assesses how effective simulation-based training is in preparing emergency physicians to safely manage and secure an unexpected firearm discovered on a patient.

This single-center prospective cohort study evaluates a simulation-based educational intervention for emergency physicians. Participants completed a preintervention simulation where they unexpectedly discovered a firearm on a patient, allowing for a baseline assessment. One month later, residents participated in a 2-h live-fire handgun safety training course, which included instruction on safe firearm handling and safety in clinical settings. Eight months post-training, participants encountered another unexpected firearm in a simulated scenario, requiring them to remove and secure the weapon. Performance was evaluated using an eight-item checklist, with scores compared between pre- and postintervention assessments.

Twenty-four residents participated, with 22 completing the postintervention assessment. The median number of correctly performed critical actions increased from 5.5 (SD = 1.8, IQR = 4-7) preintervention to 7.5 (SD = 0.7, IQR = 7-8) postintervention (p < 0.001). Performance improved across all checklist items.

This study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of firearm safety training for EM residents. Participants showed sustained improvement in firearm handling skills, reinforcing the importance of structured training programs in enhancing physician preparedness for firearm-related encounters in clinical practice.