Safer firearm storage counseling at children's trauma centers
RFA-CE-23-006, Pediatric Trauma Centers RE-AIM at Gun Safety
This project trains staff at pediatric trauma centers to give gun-safety counseling to families after injuries to help prevent future firearm harm.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11231213 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child is treated at one of the participating pediatric trauma centers, clinicians will get ACTFAST training so they routinely offer firearm-safety counseling to you and your family. The team will use established implementation methods to roll out the program across three centers and track how often counseling is delivered and whether families report safer storage practices. They will compare results between centers and look at how well the counseling sticks over time to identify best practices. The work builds on the team's prior success with widespread alcohol screening programs and adapts those strategies for firearm injury prevention.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are parents or guardians of pediatric patients treated at the participating pediatric trauma centers, especially families who have access to firearms.
Not a fit: People who are not seen at the participating centers or families who already follow safe storage practices may not see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more families could receive consistent gun-safety counseling and this could reduce firearm injuries and deaths among children.
How similar studies have performed: The team has shown success implementing clinician training for alcohol screening and brief interventions, but applying this comprehensive approach to universal firearm counseling in trauma centers is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hoops, Katherine — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Hoops, Katherine
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.