Physicians, Patients, and Firearms.

Abstract

Letters20 December 2016Physicians, Patients, and FirearmsRobert B. Sklaroff, MDRobert B. Sklaroff, MDFrom Nazareth Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L16-0545 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Inasmuch as litigation on gun control pends before the Supreme Court of the United States, the focus is properly trained on slippery-slope rhetoric subtly embedded in (and omitted from) discussion of what is portrayed as inherent in the patient–physician relationship. Wintemute and colleagues suggest that an initial physician query “might simply be, ‘Are there any firearms kept in or around your home?'” (1). No. The topic should be gently introduced the same as other concerns, such as tobacco use, namely by asking, “Would you like to discuss … ?” Nonpejorative phrasing is welcoming without being intrusive; the ...