In the last few years, Erik Langenau, DO, MS, MAPP '23, noticed an increasing trend regarding gun violence in his patients at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)'s Lancaster Avenue Healthcare Center in West Philadelphia. In response, Langenau's team launched a survey-based study titled “Clinician-directed educational program about gun violence, prevention, and community resources in North and West Philadelphia.” The surveys were offered to all patients visiting PCOM's urban healthcare centers and aimed to understand the prevalence of gun violence in Philadelphia, improve clinician-patient communication on the topic, and evaluate clinician comfort levels and awareness of community resources.
Langenau is chief academic technology officer at PCOM, where he oversees the Center for Teaching Support and Professional Development, continuing education, continuing medical education programs and library services. He also serves as a faculty member in pediatrics and sees patients weekly.
About a year and a half ago, Langenau began researching resources to help an eight-year-old patient whose mother was murdered in a very public setting. He discovered that there are many resources available in Philadelphia that offer financial support, housing and relocation support, mental health services, and physical services like wheelchairs.
“I'm taking care of a highly vulnerable population due to gun violence. Why didn't I know what resources were available?” Langenau asked. “I've heard really sad stories of families who have lost a mother or a father, grandparents, or siblings to gun violence. I only see patients one day a week—if I'm sensing this volume of gun violence going up, it's got to be fairly prevalent.”
These realizations became Langenau's call to action, and he asked how PCOM could increase awareness and support impacted families.
“Gun violence is prevalent all over the country, but there are pockets that are really affected. That is especially true in North and West Philadelphia where we have our urban healthcare centers,” Langenau said. “We have to figure out how to prevent it, but in the meantime, we can figure out what services and mental health support we can offer. That's what inspired this particular project.”
Between February and April, volunteer PCOM students (from the osteopathic medicine, biomedical sciences, and psychology programs) conducted verbal surveys to build rapport and ensure that all patients could participate regardless of literacy level or potential vision impairment. They asked participants about their personal experiences with gun violence, about their clinician's discussions on the topic and about the presence of related materials like informational flyers. Another survey assessed clinicians' comfort and knowledge before and after receiving training on discussing gun violence and available resources.
Findings from the first stage of the study found that 64% of the 428 surveyed patients were directly impacted by gun violence, often due to the death of a loved one or personal experiences.
“What was really extraordinary in talking to the families was they really appreciated us asking. It was palpable,” Langenau said. “It was difficult for them to talk about, but for the most part, the families really wanted to share. They want to help in addressing gun violence, but it's daunting and they don't know exactly how they can make the community stronger.”
After speaking with patients and families, communities affected by gun violence in Philadelphia seem to be shrinking due to fear. They may not want or be able to relocate, but more residents are staying indoors, avoiding letting their kids bike to stores, and some are even opting for cyber schooling over public schools due to safety concerns.
“The communities really are shrinking, and what you need to address in an epidemic like this is the exact opposite,” Langenau said. “You need to build a community. You need to build a sense of belonging and strength within the community to address the gun violence epidemic.”
Langenau hopes to collaborate with groups with similar missions, like Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia, Up The Block and Together for West Philadelphia. His long-term goals include working with PCOM's School of Applied and Professional Psychology to develop a better healthcare delivery model to identify patients needing mental health support and ensuring they receive appropriate counseling.
“PCOM has a strong infrastructure and is well-suited for helping the mental health impacts of individuals, families and communities. I think we're in a really good position to help,” he said.
Last year, Langenau and colleagues established the Holistic Approach to Addressing Gun Violence special interest group at PCOM. The group focuses on four areas: community outreach with partner organizations, advocacy for gun violence prevention measures like trigger locks and background checks, research such as the current study, and developing a healthcare delivery model.
“By having those four pillars, different people can tackle different parts,” Langenau said. “This model allows us to hit four big important elements on preventing gun violence, while delegating to the people who are best suited. We can divide and conquer.”
The study was funded by PCOM's Community Based Research Faculty Fellowship, established by the Office of Diversity and Community Relations and the Division of Research. The findings aim to provide insights into communication strategies to support patients and guide broader studies to help address the gun violence epidemic.
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
Kristen Hopf
Communications Content Specialist
Email: kristenho1@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6303
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