Healthcare Professionals and Extreme Risk Protection Orders: A Concise Review.

Abstract

Extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) are one policy mechanism to address the critical public health problem of gun violence. The inclusion of healthcare professionals with ERPOs is a promising approach to expanding ERPO utilization, yet early evidence has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the current research on healthcare professionals and ERPOs. Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, Academic Search Complete, and Web of Science were searched. Studies examined healthcare professionals' role and function within the context of ERPOs. Relevant studies were reviewed and included through consensus of the authors. Data extracted included authors, objective, design, states, healthcare professional type, mental health professional type, healthcare professional roles/involvement and key outcomes. There is unfamiliarity with ERPOs among healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals lack ERPO knowledge and are unclear about ethical and legal ERPO liability. The available evidence suggests that healthcare professionals have an important role in ERPOs, but critical gaps in ERPO knowledge, training/resources, and liability will limit use and effectiveness of healthcare professionals, including nurses, in the role of ERPO petitioner.