Harnessing The Power of Health Data to Combat Gun Violence

The U.S. faces a critical public health crisis with firearm injury and mortality, especially among children and adolescents. Despite some advancements, gaps in firearm injury data—such as inconsistent, delayed, and fragmented information—hinder effective policy and prevention efforts. However, technological innovations like AI, natural language processing (NLP), and interoperable health records offer opportunities to improve data collection, enhance accuracy, and provide real-time insights.

 

By connecting health care data with law enforcement and community information, we can develop comprehensive, data-driven public health strategies to reduce gun violence. This requires prioritizing privacy, ethics, and cross-sector collaboration to ensure meaningful change. Read more from Health Affairs here.