Training in firearm safety counseling in family practice residency programs

The purpose of this study was to establish a national baseline regarding the prevalence of training of family practice residents regarding firearm safety counseling. A national survey of the residency directors at the 420 accredited family practice residency programs in the coterminous United States was used to assess the prevalence of training in firearm safety counseling, perceived effectiveness of such training, and perceived barriers to such counseling in residency programs. Program directors were sent a two-page questionnaire on firearm safety counseling activity in their programs and 71% responded. Few residencies (16%) had formal training in firearm safety counseling. The most common perceived barriers were no trained personnel (31%), too many other important issues (31%), not enough time (30%), and lack of educational resources (28%). Patient education materials (57%), video training programs (49%), and a curriculum guide (46%) were identified as resources that would be most helpful in implementing a firearm safety counseling program. The results showed that formal training in firearm safety counseling is virtually absent from family practice residency training programs. This finding is not surprising given that less than 14% of the directors perceived firearm safety counseling would be effective in reducing firearm-related injuries or deaths and that research on effectiveness of such counseling is very limited.