Pediatricians Have the Right to Ask About Guns

The Daily Beast ^ | 7/30/14 | Russell Saunders

[Tau Food]

So not only do you have to be wary of gun questions, but also mental health inquiries. I simply don’t answer any of it. It’s none of their business. And if the time comes when my current physician gets truculent about any of it, he’s lost a patient.

I know exactly what you're talking about. Doctors ask more questions these days about alcohol use (how many drinks/day?), smoking (how much or when did you quit?), caffeine (how many cups of coffee/day?), dizzy spells, falling, forgetfulness, etc., etc., etc. And I know that many of these questions are not relevant to my circumstances.

But I don't want the government to decide for my doctor what questions he can or cannot ask!

For people who don't want to be asked certain questions, a better solutions is for them to simply decline to answer or, if they don't even want particular questions asked, they can (when making the appointment to see a new doctor) ask for a commitment that the doctor will not ask certain questions.

We don't need more government regulations in the health care field. We need less, not more, government.

[jmacusa]

Doctors might ask if the kids ever drank milk beyond the expiration date, fooled around with the thermostat or ever drank water out of a garden hose.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I like the sued question. It’s all about safety.

[Don W]

I’m due for some minor surgery in the fall, and the surgeon demanded I quit smoking, for a month beforehand.

I told him that he’s the body-shop, I’m the car: I need a fender repair, and I’m not going to change the transmission because he can’t drive a standard.

[MayflowerMadam]

When we moved to Tennessee, that question was on the form when registering with our Primary Care Physician. We have no kids, so the info they’re gathering has nothing to do with child safety. It’s data mining for Hussein’s militia when the time comes.

[Tau Food]

I’m due for some minor surgery in the fall, and the surgeon demanded I quit smoking, for a month beforehand.

I told him that he’s the body-shop, I’m the car: I need a fender repair, and I’m not going to change the transmission because he can’t drive a standard.

Cool. I support what both of you said and did. I just don't think that there's any need for the government to regulate your conversations. If a surgeon demands that a patient quit smoking, that's cool. Similarly, I think the patient should be able to demand that the surgeon abstain from alcohol or pot for a month before surgery. Doctor and patient should be able to speak freely. Maybe they can work out an agreement; maybe not.

[vette6387]

“Doctors ask more questions these days about alcohol use (how many drinks/day?), smoking (how much or when did you quit?), caffeine (how many cups of coffee/day?), dizzy spells, falling, forgetfulness, etc., etc., etc. And I know that many of these questions are not relevant to my circumstances.”

Your last sentence is the real issue. For most of us, none of those questions are relevant to our reason for our visits, and are consequentially inappropriate. But the doctors are heeling to the government “data collectors” who, from my perspective have an agenda which might not comport with our own personal view of things. The other issue that I am having is our medical group (which is affiliated now with a local hospital) is in the throes of converting to an all electronic medical records system. So now I get a printout of my various medical issues at the conclusion of my visit. The only problem is there are serious inaccuracies that I find necessary to challenge. It would appear that they are “trying to load me up” with things for which there have been no diagnostic tests and no prior discussion. My concern is that the end result could be denial of care based on the fact that I have ended up being a poor specimen, but that denial would be based on false entries. So I am challenging every one and they are being removed from my record. Everyone should be on guard now that doctors are busily typing away on their laptops during the exam that what they are entering is factual and is supported by accurate diagnostics.

[ForYourChildren]

“.. have a right..”

Hmm. Is that a constitutional right?

[devolve]

- Post the name, address, phone numbers of any physician asking children about their parents firearms or any possessions in they homes on the internet.

- “Beware” should lighten the load of patients for this NAZI -

[polymuser]

Then the nanny state luvin docs better damn well also ask at every visit about:

Knives
Trampolines
Swimming pools
Bicycles
Skateboards
Roller blades
Paintball & air soft guns
Slingshots
Household chemicals
Liquor
Medicines
Pets