Secure Firearm Storage Program for Child Safety

Overseen By Rinad S Beidas, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Northwestern University

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a program called S.A.F.E. Firearm, designed to help parents securely store firearms in homes with children. The program includes a brief discussion between pediatric clinicians and parents about secure firearm storage and provides a free cable lock for firearms. The trial also evaluates the effectiveness of different strategies for clinics to adopt this program (implementation package). Parents and guardians of children aged 0-17 attending well-visits at participating clinics in Illinois are ideal candidates for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants a unique opportunity to contribute to developing effective firearm safety practices in homes with children.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications. It seems unlikely, as the study focuses on firearm storage and not on medical treatments.

What prior data suggests that the S.A.F.E. Firearm program is safe for child safety?

Research shows that the S.A.F.E. Firearm program, which includes a talk about safe gun storage and provides a free cable lock, is well-received. Previous studies found that similar programs in clinics led to positive interactions between healthcare providers and families. No negative incidents have been reported from these interactions, indicating the program is safe for families. Since this trial focuses on communication and training rather than medical treatment, safety concerns are minimal. The program aims to help families store firearms safely, and past experiences have not shown any safety problems. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Secure Firearm Storage Program for Child Safety because it aims to integrate secure firearm storage conversations into routine pediatric care, which is a novel approach. Unlike traditional health interventions, this program involves direct engagement between pediatric clinicians and parents during children's well-visits, focusing specifically on firearm safety. The inclusion of free cable firearm locks provides a practical tool to encourage safer storage practices. By embedding safety discussions into regular healthcare visits, this program has the potential to create lasting changes in behavior and improve child safety without requiring additional healthcare visits or complex interventions.

What evidence suggests that the S.A.F.E. Firearm program is effective for improving secure firearm storage in homes with children?

Research shows that programs promoting safe gun storage can greatly reduce the risk of injury and death among children. In this trial, the implementation phase involves training and facilitation for clinic staff, where pediatric clinicians discuss gun safety with parents and offer free cable firearm locks. Studies have found that talking to parents about gun safety and giving out free locks leads to safer storage habits. Storing guns and bullets separately can lower the risk of self-inflicted gun injuries by 78%. Programs that train and support clinic staff have successfully encouraged these safe practices in children's healthcare settings. Overall, these strategies have proven effective in creating safer environments for children by changing how guns are stored. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for community health centers in Illinois. It's focused on pediatric clinics within these centers and involves parents and guardians of children who visit for well-child appointments. The aim is to see if training clinicians to talk about secure firearm storage and offering a free cable lock can change how firearms are stored at home.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a parent of a child (0-17) with an upcoming well-visit in Illinois.

I work in healthcare in Illinois and am over 18.

Exclusion Criteria

Not applicable.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Baseline

During the baseline data collection phase, no individuals will be exposed to S.A.F.E. Firearm. No training or facilitation will be received.

At least 6 months

Implementation

Implementation approaches (training, facilitation) and the S.A.F.E. Firearm program are enacted. Pediatric clinicians discuss secure firearm storage with parents and offer a free cable firearm lock.

12 months

Sustainment

Outcomes are assessed during the sustainment window. Clinics continue to deliver S.A.F.E. Firearm without additional training or facilitation.

Remainder of the study period

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Implementation package

Trial Overview The study tests the S.A.F.E. Firearm program, which includes a conversation about gun safety between clinicians and parents during child wellness visits, plus an offer of a free gun lock. Additionally, it evaluates whether extra support like staff training and problem-solving assistance helps clinics adopt this practice.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Implementation phase (training and facilitation received, S.A.F.E. Firearm delivered) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Once a group of clinics crosses over from the baseline data collection phase, the implementation approaches (e.g., training, facilitation) and the S.A.F.E. Firearm program will be enacted. S.A.F.E. Firearm involves pediatric clinicians having a secure firearm storage discussion with a parent or guardian during their child's well-visit and offering them a free cable firearm lock. This implementation phase will last for 12 months.

Group II: Baseline/usual care Active Control 1 Intervention

During the baseline data collection phase, no individuals will be exposed to S.A.F.E. Firearm. No training or facilitation will be received. The length of the baseline data collection phase will differ between each "wedge" (i.e., group of clinics) depending on when the group is randomly assigned to cross over into the implementation phase. All sites will be in the baseline data collection phase for at least six months before having the interventions activated.

Group III: Sustainment (training and facilitation removed) Active Control 1 Intervention

Following the conclusion of the 12 months in which the implementation approaches (training and facilitation) are used at a clinic, outcomes will be assessed for the duration of the study during a "sustainment" window. No additional training or facilitation will be received during the sustainment period following the experimental period. However, clinics will still continue to deliver S.A.F.E. Firearm.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Northwestern University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,674

Recruited

989,000+

AllianceChicago

Collaborator

Trials

8

Recruited

18,700+

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Collaborator

Trials

623

Recruited

10,400,000+

Illinois Primary Health Care Association

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

670+

University of Pennsylvania

Collaborator

Trials

2,118

Recruited

45,270,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Providing firearm storage devices along with training significantly improved safe storage practices among households of children with mental health complaints, with triple-safe storage (TSS) increasing from 32% to 56% in the intervention group after 7 days.

The study involved 256 participants and showed that those receiving the intervention had a much higher rate of adopting safe storage practices compared to those receiving usual care, highlighting the importance of integrating such safety measures into routine pediatric care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of a Firearm Safety Device Distribution Intervention on Storage Practices After an Emergent Mental Health Visit. Uspal, NG., Strelitz, B., Cappetto, K., et al.[2021]

After participating in the Safer training program, pediatric clinicians reported a significant increase in their confidence (self-efficacy) in counseling about firearm safe storage, with scores improving from a median of 50 to 80 (P < .001).

The frequency of counseling on firearm safety also increased significantly, with clinicians reporting a median frequency of 50 sessions post-training compared to 10 sessions at baseline (P < .001), indicating the training's effectiveness in promoting safer firearm storage practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

One Step Closer to Safer: Counseling Outcomes from American Academy of Pediatrics Firearm Safe Storage Education Training. Gastineau, KAB., Bell, R., Hanes, A., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11372656/

Implementation of a Secure Firearm Storage Program in ... We conducted a parallel cluster randomized effectiveness-implementation trial in which 30 pediatric primary care clinics within 2 health care ...

2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39226027/

Implementation of a Secure Firearm Storage Program in ... Importance: Increased secure firearm storage can reduce youth firearm injury and mortality, a leading cause of death for children and ...

3. firearminjury.umich.edu firearminjury.umich.edu/project/adapting-the-safety-check-intervention-for-wide-scale-implementation-in-health-systems-for-prevention-of-pediatric-firearm-injury-and-mortality/

Adapting the Safety Check Intervention for Wide-Scale ... This study will lay the groundwork for future large-scale studies to examine the implementation and intervention outcomes for Firearm Safety Check and elucidate ...

4. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/secure-firearm-storage-program-for-child-safety-b1308

Secure Firearm Storage Program for Child Safety Researchers will be studying S.A.F.E. Firearm, a program that aims to increase secure storage of firearms in homes with children. Specifically, S.A.F.E. Firearm ...

5. childrenshospitals.org childrenshospitals.org/news/cha-blog/2025/04/safe-firearm-storage-saves-lives

Safe Firearm Storage Saves Lives Studies show that secure, separate storage of firearms and ammunition is associated with a 78% decreased risk of self-inflicted gun injuries.

6. scienceblog.cincinnatichildrens.org scienceblog.cincinnatichildrens.org/training-in-secure-firearm-storage-to-save-children/

Training in Secure Firearm Storage to Save Children An interactive, virtual-reality-based training tool that teaches providers how to have these life-saving conversations with families in their care.

7. cdc.gov cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7323a1.htm

Firearm Storage Behaviors — Behavioral Risk Factor... This report describes firearm storage behaviors reported through the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11384269/

Implementation of a Firearm Safety Program in the PICU Data from Virtual Pediatric Systems, LLC (2009–2017) showed that those who survived to PICU admission had 12% mortality, more than five-times ...