Here are five things to know:
1. The practice of voluntary gun-safety screening is supported by the Massachusetts Medical Society, the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other professional groups.
2. The topic of physicians, patients and guns is on the agenda for a Massachusetts Medical Society public health leadership forum on firearm violence scheduled for April 5.
3. A study published in Injury Prevention reported Massachusetts’ gun ownership rate of 22.6 percent is below the national average of 29.1 percent.
4. A 2013 national survey by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that about half of pediatricians sometimes ask patients about guns, and one in five always do.
5. A 2014 report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a gun in the home makes it more likely for someone to commit suicide or to shoot someone else.
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