Source: Summer 2020 Executive Vice President’s Message by Ann Spicer
Following the tragic shooting in Dayton’s historic Oregon district in August 2019, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) Board of Directors decided it was time for the OAFP to tackle the subject of gun violence and gun safety in a more public way.
The Board held a meeting on October 20, 2019, and discussed the need for high quality, evidence-based research that improves understanding of the causes and consequences of firearms-related injury and death.
- Intimate Partner Homicide: A Serious and Preventable Public Health Problem
- The Emotional and Logistical Challenges of Firearms Research
- OAFP Gun Safety Guide
To quote the American Academy of Family Physicians Position Paper on the Prevention of Gun Violence, “As clinicians, family physicians can help prevent gun violence in their practice and within their communities by proper screening and treatment of depression, screening for intimate partner violence, referring patients to appropriate services, and talking with patients about safe storage and handling of guns. Outside the exam room, family physicians can help prevent suicide and intentional injuries and deaths by advocating for gun violence research funding and gun control legislation at the community, state, and federal levels.”