Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has launched a quality initiative to improve firearm safety conversations and interventions in emergency departments.
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., with about 30 million kids living in a home with guns and nearly 5 million living in homes where guns are loaded and unlocked.
To tackle this issue, researchers from CHOP’s Center for Violence Prevention introduced standardized firearm safety questions into the EMR at CHOP’s Philadelphia and King of Prussia EDs, according to a June 4 system news release. These questions prompted providers to consistently inquire about firearm access during behavioral health assessments and provide resources to families as needed.
Before the intervention, CHOP did not have a standardized approach to documenting firearm safety, but afterward, documentation rates rose and remained at more than 90%.
Additionally, 85% of patients who identified they had unsafely stored firearms received safety resources, including cable lock safe storage devices and education.
The program will soon expand to several primary care practices and additional CHOP locations.
