Doctors and other health care providers often feel that they have a role in preventing firearm injury. But few talk to their patients about the risks.

That’s what a group of physicians and researchers say prompted them to try to help.

This month, a clinical guide to recognize patients' risk of firearm injury was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine’s “In the Clinic” series. Its authors came from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, Brown University, the University of Colorado and Stanford.

One of the biggest barriers for doctors seemed to be time, said Rocco Pallin, a researcher with the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program.

"I think that we've tried to emphasize that we're not advocating for universal counseling," she said. "We really want providers to be aware of the risk factors and to counsel based on recognized risk rather than talk with every patient they ever see."

The guide references studies and research as well as recommending strategies for screening and counseling patients.

Risk factors for firearm injuries ranged from patients with abusive partners to dementia or alcohol and drug misuse. The suggested interventions included recommendations for safer firearm storage and patient handouts.

Pallin said it's not about ownership but about reducing access for people who may not be safe around firearms.

"It's just preventative health," she said. "It's intervening before someone gets shot."

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'Doctors should stick to medicine'

Sam Paredes, executive director of the advocacy group Gun Owners of California, said he's talked to dozens of people who have the same reaction to doctors bringing up guns. That is, it's none of their business, he said.

He suggested they could hand out brochures to a National Rifle Association firearm safety program but said the topic of guns doesn't belong in the doctor's office and doctors aren't firearms experts.

"Doctors should stick to medicine," he said. "They shouldn’t stick to gun safety."

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The researchers said patient perceptions of appropriateness may vary.

They cited studies that showed patients have been open to those discussions with their doctors. Some patients may not want to talk about things like the number of firearms they own, but also, those details often are unnecessary.

Potential to save a life

Dr. Kenneth Saul, a Thousand Oaks pediatrician, said firearm safety has come up during office visits in his practice but rarely. He plans to incorporate it more.

Time can be a factor, he said. Doctors have long lists of recommendations of what to bring up at physicals and sometimes have to be selective.

That said, he thinks the possible benefits of finding a way to bring up firearm safety would make it worth it.

"We made such good progress with anxiety and depression being more proactive," he said. With a brief questionnaire, he said his practice was able to open a dialogue about problems.

The same may be true about gun safety, he said. "Just by bringing it up, we could potentially save a dire accident."

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'What You Can Do'

A "What You Can Do" website was established after Dr. Garen Wintemute, director of the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research program, wrote in the Annals of Internal Medicine asking for commitments from health care providers to assess patients' risk for firearm injury.

Roughly 2,600 providers have posted a commitment online since it was published in late 2017. UC Davis researchers then reached out to see what kind of help those doctors might need, said Pallin, who directs the initiative.

"We overwhelmingly heard that they needed two things. The first was more training and education on what the risk factors are and what to do with (patients') answers," she said. "Then, secondly, they needed materials to give to their patients."

The website was launched in response to those requests, she said, and includes existing research on counseling and interventions, as well as other materials and handouts.

Find out more information at https://health.ucdavis.edu/what-you-can-do/.

Cheri Carlson is a staff writer for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.