Integrating firearm storage and safety devices into health care.

ABSTRACT: Millions of US children and adolescents live in homes with loaded firearms, with only half of these homes securing their guns. Firearm-related deaths among youth have doubled over the past decade, making firearms the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States. The recent advisory by the US Surgeon General, identifying firearm violence as a public health crisis, underscores the urgent need for responsible firearm ownership, including safe firearm storage. However, the healthcare community currently lacks durable medical equipment (DME) codes for firearm storage devices, limiting the ability of healthcare providers to support responsible gun ownership. We propose the establishment of DME codes for firearm storage and safety devices, which would facilitate insura

SUBMITTER: Cogle CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11382135 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature