Respiratory Support in the Time of COVID-19

Abstract

to some of these approaches. According to a 2019 survey 21 of 4030 US adults residing in households with firearms, 76% to 89% reported that clinicians should "sometimes" or "always" discuss firearm safety with patients as part of routine care in certain clinical scenarios (such as if the patient or family member is at risk for suicide, has mental health or behavioral problems, has alcohol or substance use disorders, has been affected by domestic violence, or has dementia). Other approaches for health care professionals 20 may include involvement in community, state, or national initiatives and activities that support violence prevention from a public health perspective and-depending on the individual physician's values, perspectives, and beliefs about firearms-consideration of supporting regulatory and legislative measures that limit the availability of firearms.Without deliberate action, firearm-related violence will not abate. As the articles in this issue of JAMA highlight, addressing the challenges, devastation, and complexity of firearm violence will require comprehensive, evidence-based, adequately funded, multidisciplinary approaches involving physicians and other health care professionals, public health leaders, researchers, criminal justice experts, and social scientists partnering with legislators, policy makers, and community leaders. The devastating and unrelenting epidemic of firearm-related violence merits urgent attention and action.