P2.E088: Implementation of a Safe Firearm Storage Curriculum for Pediatric Residents

Background: Firearms are the leading cause of death in children and young adults, and 1 in 3 American children live in homes with firearms. Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to help prevent firearm-related injuries. Previous studies have found that patients who receive counseling from their physicians are more likely to implement safe gun storage recommendations. Pediatric residents are taught the importance of screening and counseling to prevent childhood injuries, but may not be trained to counsel effectively on all topics. Teaching pediatric trainees about firearm safety recommendations and counseling may increase their likelihood of discussing these recommendations with patients/caregivers.

Project Description:

Objective: The aim of this study was to improve pediatric residents’ knowledge and comfort levels related to counseling patients/caregivers about safe firearm storage recommendations through a curriculum delivered through an interactive educational session.

Methods: Using existing resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Surgeons, an educational curriculum focused on safe firearm storage recommendations and counseling patients/caregivers on this topic was created. This study was reviewed by our institutional IRB and deemed exempt. The curriculum, delivered through a single educational session, included a group didactic presentation and a hands-on demonstration of the trigger lock being distributed in our Pediatric Emergency Department. Pediatric residents were given a QR code to facilitate independent review of study information and consent to participate in this educational study. Participating residents completed a brief survey before and immediately after completing the safe firearm storage curriculum. Surveys included 7 items that assessed participants' knowledge regarding and comfort in counseling about safe firearm storage. Non-parametric statistics, including the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, were used to compare differences in pre- and post-curriculum survey responses.

Discussion:

Results: 34 pediatric residents completed both the pre-educational and post-educational surveys. Following completion of our curriculum, participating residents reported increased comfort with initiating discussions about firearm ownership (p=0.0001) and counseling patients/caregivers on firearm safety measures in the outpatient, inpatient, and emergency department settings (p < 0.0001-0.0013).

Conclusion: Our study found that implementing a curriculum focused on safe firearm storage recommendations for pediatric residents in a single training program resulted in significantly increased reported comfort levels related to initiating conversations about firearms with patients/caregivers and providing counseling about safe firearm storage across a range of clinical practice settings. Limitations of our study include its small sample size and single-center design. Further multi-center studies to evaluate the impact of implementing similar curricula within pediatric GME training programs and to assess the impact of safe firearm storage counseling on actual patient/caregiver storage practices are warranted.