Table 2 Frequency of and barriers to asking about firearms by firearm exposure and by prior firearm education (percent)

 Never

51.0

60.9

48.5

68.2^a

 At least sometimes

49.0

39.1

51.5^a

31.8^a

 Not enough time

59.5

70.9

64.3

68.4

 Afraid to offend patient

22.4^a

40.2^a

24.7^a

43.3^a

 Don’t know if asking is legal

6.4^a

24.6^a

6.9^a

27.5^a

 Nothing I can do if there is a gun in the home

30.0

24.7

28.2

27.0

 Topic isn’t clinically relevant

28.3^a

6.9^a

14.8

21.6

 Firearms aren’t within scope of practice

46.7

43.1

36.6^a

54.8^a

 I don’t know how to ID risk

42.9

54.3

45.7

52.6

 I don’t know how to ask

45.9

50.7

35.4^a

65.5^a

 I don’t know what to do with answers

75.7

70.2

64.6^a

82.2^a

Interested in education^c

70.2

73.9

70.4

73.9