Survey finds few physicians discuss gun safety with patients

According to a poll conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation, 41% of U.S. adults reported living in a household with a gun but only 14% said a physician or healthcare provider has ever asked them if they owned a gun.

Even fewer adults (5%) said a physician or healthcare provider has spoken with them about gun safety even though medical schools have increasingly offered training about discussing gun safety with patients after the American Medical Association adopted a policy in 2016 calling gun violence a public health crisis.

Pediatricians fared slightly better, with 26% of parents with children under 18 reporting that their child’s pediatrician has asked them if there is a gun in their home. Eight percent of these parents also said their pediatrician has discussed gun safety with them.     

The poll also found that gun-related incidents were common among the surveyed adults:

• 21% have personally been threatened with a gun
• 19% have had a family member killed by a gun (including death by suicide)
• 17% have personally witnessed someone being shot
• 4% have shot a gun in self-defense
• 4% have been injured in a shooting

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation