Physician Counseling on Firearm Safety: A New Kind of Cultural Competence.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 33 636 deaths and 84 258 nonfatal injuries from firearms occurred in the United States in 2013.1 Physician counseling concerning gun safety has been identified as a key component of the prevention of firearm injury and deaths.2 However, recently proposed or enacted state laws that are perceived as restricting physicians’ conversations with patients about firearms have spurred debates about the role of physicians in preventing firearm injury and death. In response, medical, legal, and public health organizations published a statement defending freedom in the physician-patient relationship and the right for physicians to be able to speak openly with patients about firearm safety.3 Yet maintaining this right is not enough to protect patients. Physicians and other health professionals also need to consider how to speak with patients. This means identifying what kinds of information, and