A Consensus-Driven Agenda for Emergency Medicine Firearm Injury Prevention Research

Abstract

Objective-To identify critical Emergency Medicine (EM)-focused firearm injury research questions and to develop an evidence-based research agenda. Results-Fifty-nine final EM-relevant research questions were identified, including questions that cut across all firearm injury topics and questions specific to self-directed violence (suicide and attempted suicide); intimate partner violence; peer (non-partner) violence; mass violence; and unintentional ("accidental") injury. Some questions could be addressed through research conducted in emergency departments (EDs); others would require work in other settings. HHS Public AccessConclusions-The technical advisory group identified key EM-relevant firearm injury research questions. EM-specific data is limited for most of these questions. Funders and researchers should consider increasing their attention to firearm injury prevention and control, particularly to the questions identified here and in other recently developed research agendas.

A technology-augmented intervention to prevent peer violence and depressive symptoms among at-risk emergency department adolescents: Protocol for a randomized control trial

“…Moreover, teens with any past-year physical fights (not just those with acute injury) are high risk for future injury and depressive symptoms [6,150,151]. Our work and others' supports using the ED visit as a moment to screen and intervene with at-risk patients [39][40][41][42][43]152]. Dating (partner) violence and non-physical violence (bullying/cyberbullying) are related but distinct types of adolescent violence with different underlying mechanisms and consequently, will not be used as inclusion criteria [151,[153][154][155].…”

“…Youth with a history of peer violence and depressive symptoms are also more likely to have future ED visits for assault injuries [21,22,38]. ED screening for risk behaviors, including a history of violence, is supported as an important public health strategy [39][40][41][42][43].…”

Stop Posturing and Start Problem Solving: A Call for Research to Prevent Gun Violence

“…Many of these basic questions remain unanswered. And these questions are just a start: Ranney and colleagues have outlined an extensive research agenda for gun violence prevention in the field of emergency medicine [18]; other specialties can follow this lead.…”

Gun Violence: A Biopsychosocial Disease

“…30 Specific examination of the gun and its design/safety characteristics open up areas of potential interventions. Much like reducing a child’s access to the energy contained in a medicine container resulted in decreases in unintentional chemical injury from aspirin and Tylenol, 31 banning bump stocks would reduce the rate of energy release that was so tragically seen in the Las Vegas shooting of October 2017. Designing a “smart” gun, which leverages new technologies to identify a gun’s owner and prevent its use by others, could also have the potential to reduce the number of accidental (unintentional) deaths and suicides.…”