AMA: New online education to help physicians promote firearm safety

CHICAGO — With more than 38,000 Americans dying from firearm-related injuries each year and an estimated 85,000 people surviving non-fatal firearm injuries, the American Medical Association (AMA) today announced a new online continuing medical education (CME) module to help prepare physicians to counsel their patients on firearm safety. The module is designed to assist physicians, particularly those who specialize in primary care and emergency medicine, in recognizing risk factors that increase the potential for firearm injury and death, identifying barriers to communicating with patients about firearm safety, and effectively communicating with patients to reduce the risk of firearm injury and death.

“Injury and death from firearms is a major public health crisis. Yet, while we know there is a very real need for firearm injury prevention among patients, the majority of physicians are not taught how to screen and counsel their patients on firearm safety,” said AMA President Barbara L. McAneny, M.D. “The AMA developed this educational module to ensure more physicians are prepared to confidently and effectively communicate with their patients about firearm safety. We encourage all physicians to openly talk with high-risk patients about firearm safety—doing so will go a long way toward addressing this public health crisis, helping prevent unnecessary firearm-related injuries and saving lives.”