Emergency room intervention pairs smartphone and telehealth counseling to reduce risky firearm behavior
· Medical Xpressby Kate Barnes, University of Michigan
edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan
Gaby Clark
Scientific Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Robert Egan
Senior Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
peer-reviewed publication
trusted source
proofread
The GIST Add as preferred source
Among U.S. teens and young adults, firearm violence accounts for about 65,000 emergency department visits annually, and 60% of all firearm deaths in this age group result from interpersonal violence.
To address this growing public health crisis, University of Michigan researchers are developing ways to use health care visits and digital technologies such as smartphones to reach young people and provide support.
One program, IntERact, is housed within the U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. It uses evidence-based prevention methods to reduce risky firearm behaviors and prevent firearm injuries among at-risk youth and young adults treated in emergency departments.
A new clinical trial of IntERact, published online in JAMA Pediatrics, found that telehealth counseling sessions supplemented with digital therapeutic tools delivered through a mobile app can significantly reduce risky firearm behaviors, such as threatening or using a gun against another person.
Risky firearm behaviors fell sharply
The trial enrolled nearly 400 emergency department patients ages 16 to 30 who reported carrying a firearm within the previous three months.
The study found that patients receiving IntERact experienced a 57% reduction in risky firearm behaviors when evaluated six months after their emergency department visit. That decrease was more than twice the reduction observed in the comparison group, which received standard care: resources on local community violence and substance misuse prevention programs provided by a social worker.
Compared with those receiving standard care, IntERact participants also had less overall involvement in violence, fewer violent injuries and lower rates of substance use and mental health symptoms, such as anxiety and depression.
Counseling paired with daily digital support
Within 30 days of their emergency department visit, patients randomly assigned to IntERact received three telehealth sessions offering behavioral counseling and care management support. They also received digital support between sessions. Delivered through a mobile health app, that support included automated daily assessments, tailored behavioral therapy content, GPS-enabled notifications about high-risk locations and information about local resources.
"This new data is really promising," said Patrick Carter, director of the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and professor of emergency medicine and public health. "We know that youth who engage in risky firearm behaviors are at elevated risk of injuring other people or being harmed themselves, so to see that a preventive intervention delivered in a clinical setting can decrease the risk of these behaviors, as well as associated behaviors such as substance use, that perpetuate the cycle of firearm violence, is really encouraging. Ultimately, it is about keeping young people safe and providing them with the tools they need to avoid violence."
Support beyond emergency departments
The researchers noted that digitally augmented programs like IntERact could ease the burden on increasingly understaffed emergency departments. Because they are delivered remotely, the programs could be integrated with centralized call centers used by other behavioral management and counseling services, extending support to young people after a single emergency department visit.
"While IntERact was initially designed for use in an emergency department, we are hopeful that with further testing and adaptation, we can begin using IntERact in other settings as well," Carter said. "Opportunities to implement violence prevention services for youth are numerous and include other clinical settings such as primary care visits, as well as community spaces such as schools, churches and youth criminal justice programs. We need to focus on adapting programs to meet youth and young adults where they are and address the current epidemic of firearm violence with the most effective evidence-based tools we have available."
Publication details
Patrick M. Carter et al, Efficacy of Technology-Augmented Behavioral Counseling for Risky Firearm Behaviors, JAMA Pediatrics (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.3893
Journal information: JAMA Pediatrics
Key medical concepts
Clinical categories
Emergency medicinePsychology & Mental healthCommon illnesses & PreventionChildren's health Provided by University of Michigan Who's behind this story?
Gaby Clark
MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile →
Robert Egan
Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →
Citation: Emergency room intervention pairs smartphone and telehealth counseling to reduce risky firearm behavior (2026, September 29) retrieved 29 September 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-emergency-room-intervention-pairs-smartphone.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.