Data and Harmonization in Firearm Injury-prevention Research—Two Sides of the Same Coin?

• In Event: Thinking Outside the Box: Harmonizing Data in Prevention Research, Healthcare Settings and Challenges From the Field

Abstract

In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill containing the Dickey Amendment, which prevented federal research funds from being used to promote or advocate for gun control. Although the amendment targeted political advocacy, the result negatively affected public health research. A presidential memorandum later clarified that the Dickey Amendment does not preclude this type of research, but the decades-long moratorium contributed to a highly segmented national data ecosystem. In 2019, researchers at the University of Michigan created the Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens (FACTS) Consortium. FACTS later provided a foundation for researchers to develop a Community Firearm Violence Prevention Network (CFVP) that collects, evaluates, and archives data produced by research teams. This study reports on a quality improvement project intended to inform the CFVP mission. Our semi-structured interviews with firearm injury prevention researchers confirm the limitations of existing datasets. Study participants discussed infrastructure and research support. Criminologists reported that they rely on administrative data, which allows them to study gun violence at a low cost. Interviews also highlighted the consequences of the Dickey Amendment and described a data harmonization strategy used by CFVP. We present findings that illustrate ongoing challenges in firearm injury prevention research space.

Authors

• A.J. Million, University of Michigan

• Jenny Bossaller, University of Missouri

• Sanja Gidakovic, University of Missouri