Increasing Access to Safe Storage Devices to Save Lives

Between 2015 and 2021, over 3,000 Americans died from unintentional gun injuries, with nearly 25% of those being children under the age of 17. Safe firearm storage is a proven method to keep people safe when a gun is present in the home.  

Through a Network of Practice grant from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, Bloomberg Fellow Creason Walter partnered with Katherine Hoops, an attending physician in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Medicine, to expand access to firearm safe storage devices and support healthcare providers in having conversations about firearm safety with their patients.  

Healthcare providers are often a trusted source of guidance on injury prevention, whether discussing car seat safety, substance use, or other health risks. Firearm safety is no different. Yet many providers face barriers when counseling patients about safe storage, including limited access to resources they can offer families. This project sought to address that gap by providing free firearm safe storage devices to healthcare providers across Johns Hopkins Medicine and evaluating how those devices were used in clinical settings. 

The program was broadly accepted. Follow-up surveys conducted four and six months after distribution found that most participating providers had given away most or all of the devices they received. Providers reported that having free devices available made them significantly more likely to discuss safe firearm storage with patients and that distributing the devices during clinical visits was straightforward and well received. 

The project also strengthened partnerships across the Johns Hopkins health system and beyond, creating new collaborations with Kennedy Krieger Institute, East Baltimore Medical Center, Yard 56 Pediatrics, and Johns Hopkins Community Physicians in Odenton, while deepening existing relationships with the Harriet Lane Clinic and psychiatry teams. These connections have expanded the reach of firearm injury prevention efforts and laid the groundwork for future community engagement. 

As the project continues, Walter and colleagues plan to connect additional Johns Hopkins Medicine providers with available safe storage resources, ensuring that more patients and families have access to tools that can help prevent firearm injuries before they occur.