Impact of a clinician-directed educational program on communicating with patients regarding gun violence at two community urban healthcare centers.

CONTEXT

Gun violence negatively impacts not only victims but also their families and surrounding communities. Resources and counseling services may be available to support families affected by gun violence, but the families and their clinicians may not know about these resources or how to access them.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of a clinician-directed educational program on patient reports of their discussions with their physician regarding gun violence, prevention, and available resources for support and treatment.

METHODS

This quasi-experimental, cross-sectional, survey-based, quality-improvement study included pre-, mid-, and posttraining surveys administered to patients and clinicians participating in an educational program at two urban healthcare centers in Philadelphia. The educational program included office enhancements (handouts and posters) and lunchtime presentations for clinicians regarding gun violence prevalence, prevention strategies, local support resources, and impacts on mental health for patients and their families. The anonymous patient survey was offered to all patients seen at two urban healthcare centers in Philadelphia during three nonconsecutive weeks over 3 months.

RESULTS

Among 542 patients seen over the 3 weeks of survey collection, 428 completed the survey (response rate of 79 %). Sixty-four percent acknowledged being impacted by gun violence including the death of a loved one, witnessing a shooting, or being shot themselves. Over the course of the educational program, patients reported significant increases in (1) awareness of materials related to gun violence in the waiting areas, by 17.2 %, (2) discussions of gun violence with their clinician, by 12.1 %, and (3) discussions of methods to prevent gun injury, by 9.7 %. At the end of the study, 19.3 % of patients reported having discussions with their clinician about gun violence, and 14.3 % discussed strategies to prevent gun injury. Participating clinicians reported high levels of satisfaction and increased confidence when talking to patients about gun violence at the end of the program.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing clinician-directed education and printed materials increased the frequency with which clinicians discussed gun violence, prevention, and available resources with their patients. Increases were modest, with opportunities for improvement. A holistic and multifaceted approach is required to support families affected by gun violence, including education for clinicians and dissemination of information for families.