More than two-thirds of adults in the United States — including half of people who own guns — believe it is at least sometimes appropriate for doctors to talk with their patients about firearm safety, according to a study published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
This finding suggests that many patients are open to having their doctors raise the issue of gun safety during their medical check-ups. The finding also underscores the need for research on how doctors can best approach different groups of patients on the often politically charged issue of gun safety, say the study's authors.
Earlier surveys of health-care providers have found that doctors do not routinely discuss gun safety with their patients, even when they believe such discussions are important — and even though the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and many other major medical organizations support such counseling. Doctors cite several reasons for their reluctance to do so, including a lack of training on how to discuss the issue, time constraints and a fear about alienating or offending patients.
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