This has been an issue for years. Here are some earlier threads on the subject.
Pediatricians asking parents if they own a gun (2003)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/909747/posts
Keep Quiet or Walk Out - by Rabbi R. Mermelstein (2004)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1172683/posts
Doc, what’s up with snooping? (Pediatricians turning kids into snitches) (2007)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1906717/posts?
First, theres no reason for a 13 year old to be questioned privately by a pediatrician, as in this article. A parent should have been present.
About 10 years ago, the gun question came up during a pediatrician visit. Id already been alerted to the issue from FR.
I told the doc that I didnt think he was qualified by training or experience to advise us on firearms safety, and unless he could convince me otherwise (which he couldnt, didnt even try to do), that I saw the question as a professional boundary violation, which is a very serious thing.
He got a little huffy and told me it wasnt, but he dropped the whole thing pretty much immediately.
Theres a nice questionnaire on this topic that the Second Amendment Sisters used to have. I can’t find it now, I’ll email them and ask about it. It’s a great thing to hand to your doctor if he asks this question. Many do it unthinkingly, simply because the American Academy of Pediatrics tells them to.
To expand on what I asked, ask your pediatrician if he is formally trained to offer househouse safety advice regarding firearms, swimming pools, trampolines, and the like, and does his liability coverage cover such advice? Further ask if the information is needed to treat any medical issues with your child, and if not, why is the question not a professional boundary violation?
Bringing up the issues of professional liability and boundaries ought to get a physician’s attention in a serious way.
See my previous post, #88.
I really think it important to push back a little bit, and not just immediately go find another pediatrician. Make these guys think long and hard about what they are doing in this area.