April 26, 2024

Johnson-Young Publishes Paper on Firearm Safety Counseling Practices of Pediatricians

Elizabeth Johnson-Young, Assistant Professor of Communication

Elizabeth Johnson-Young, Assistant Professor of Communication

Elizabeth Johnson-Young, Assistant Professor of Communication, recently published a paper now available in the peer-reviewed journal Children. This project was completed in conjunction with research colleagues in emergency pediatrics from University of Maryland, Kaiser Permanente, and The Herman and Walter Samuelson Children’s Hospital at Sinai, and is part of a larger set of data and projects. The current publication is the first among a few upcoming publications from the project and presents data and conclusions regarding pediatric medical residents’ attitudes towards anticipatory guidance counseling about firearms and firearm safety. Survey items asked residents about their knowledge of current gun safety campaigns, as well as their own gun safety counseling practices. Overall conclusions are that residents support the idea of counseling patients on firearm safety as part of their anticipatory guidance practices, but seem to recognize that the subject of firearms can be problematic. Educational programs and resources are needed to support pediatricians in this type of counseling. This paper is now available in open access form at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/6/11/122/htm