Opportunity

There are tens of thousands of firearm-related deaths and many more nonfatal firearm-related injuries every year in the United States. Touchpoints with firearm owners can provide an opportunity to promote injury prevention measures.

To prevent workplace violence, in November 2021, Penn Medicine implemented the Evolv weapons detection system at Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH). For individuals who self-disclose they are carrying a weapon, or who are identified as carrying a weapon during screening, security guards offer the option to leave with their weapon or to place it in a safe, at the hospital, for storage. Security guards return the weapon when the visitor is ready to leave. The administration in the security office identified the return of a firearm to its owner as an intervention opportunity.

Intervention

In July 2022, the Nudge Unit launched a firearm safety initiative in partnership with the security teams at PAH and Penn Medicine Washington Square. At these locations, when a gun is returned to its owner at the conclusion of their visit, a security supervisor offers them a free firearm safety lock and an informational brochure on safe storage.

The Nudge Unit team is currently interviewing security guards about their experiences with the program. We will also explore how to measure adoption of firearm safe storage devices and gather feedback directly from firearm owners.

Impact

Since the beginning of this initiative, more than 200 firearm safety locks and informational brochures have been distributed. Analysis of the forthcoming interviews will inform whether and how to scale the program to other health system sites effectively.