Doctor visit today

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Ed N. said:
This law was never necessary in the first place. Florida statute 790.335 already made it illegal for anyone to maintain a record of privately owned firearms. If a physician asks for the information and keeps it in your medical file, he is breaking this law. Here's what the statute says in part:




There are exceptions, of course, for those who are required by federal law to maintain records, such as FFLs. The law also allows redress for violations,



so if your Florida doctor asks such a question and writes your answer into your medical file, you might point this out to him. If that doesn't fix the problem, talk to a lawyer.
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Actually, what they would have is a list of patients along with any information the those patients provided to the doctor voluntarily. Not a list of firearm owners. It a subtle difference, but important nonetheless.

790.338 had good intentions, but failed due to it's codification...happens a lot with the Tallahassee gang.

Believe it or not, the original draft had the penalty as a felony with a five million dollar fine.

What they should have done was approached it via professional regulation, if they would have limited medical professionals to offering 'safety' advise on only those topics that they have received professional training. Pool safety, chemical storage and use safety, firearm safety, prescription and illegal drug misuse, etc. Or only allow them to offer information such as handouts, contact information to industry experts, national organizations, etc.
 
You are not kidding. Mine is now making patients fill in a preappointment form with any prescriptions and a few of his standard questions that he usually saves for the actual appointment.

Top question was: Reason for visit

I put down: Doctor boredom

He never noticed. I pointed it out at the end of my appt. :)
 
ATLDave said:
Some doctors (particularly family practicioners) just want to remind you to store them locked up and/or unloaded so that little kids don't get them.
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This.

I recently ran into that question at the pediatrics with my baby boy. I dont think we did it for my daughter when we lived in Alaska. But they asked it here. My wife answered it yes. I didnt really care. I am not ultra paranoid. Anyway when the doc saw it all he wanted was to talk child safety. He was not in any way ridiculing or looking down on us. He went thru his little speech and I told him I knew what I was doing. He smiled and we went on with the check up.


Sometimes its really important to put yourself in other peoples shoes. Most gun owners are naturally defensive about it and have reason to be. But in the last two years in my city we have had four children killed or injured by guns in the home. Pediatritians feel a certain responsibility to their patients that most other doctors dont quite have. If they want to ask and talk about it then I dont blame them.
 
Does the doctor ever ask if you own a swimming pool? After all, drownding is the number one cause of death for children.
 
About a month ago I went to the doc for a check up. His receptionist gave me a form to fill out. Looked at it and thought it was a little too personal It asked my SS number, and asked about guns too. I took it back to the window and told her I refused to fill out such personal info that was NOYB. She looked at me like I was from Mars. I sat down and she yelled out the window for the whole waiting room to hear:"You have to fill it out. No one has ever refused to fill out that form!" I kind of smiled to myself as I said for all to hear "You just met the guy who isn't going to fill it out!" It was kind of amusing to me. I am 62 and she was about 21. I like this doc and his nurse that always takes care of me. We have a great rapport and have four German Sheps between us that we all talk about. I was in there a week ago and the loudmouth didn't hand me any forms to fill out. I asked a friend who manages a doc's office and she said they get $$ from a bigger clinic for every form you fill out.
 
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^^Money for what exactly? Handing out patient information to individuals not involved in the care or billing for care of the patient is a serious no no.

At any rate, as someone already said, this is to ensure safekeeping around kids. It isn't going to play a role in medical decision-making, so if you're content with how you're keeping your firearms and don't want to hear the safety spiel, just don't fill it in, check no, whatever.
 
My wife is a doctor and half the docs in the practice not only have their CHL but they carry in the office. The senior partner is somewhat liberal and wanted to put a no handguns sign when Ohio first got concealed carry. He was bluntly told by my wife and the others he would lose half the doctors if he did that. lol
 
Agsalaska said:
This.

I recently ran into that question at the pediatrics with my baby boy. I dont think we did it for my daughter when we lived in Alaska. But they asked it here. My wife answered it yes. I didnt really care. I am not ultra paranoid. Anyway when the doc saw it all he wanted was to talk child safety. He was not in any way ridiculing or looking down on us. He went thru his little speech and I told him I knew what I was doing. He smiled and we went on with the check up.


Sometimes its really important to put yourself in other peoples shoes. Most gun owners are naturally defensive about it and have reason to be. But in the last two years in my city we have had four children killed or injured by guns in the home. Pediatritians feel a certain responsibility to their patients that most other doctors dont quite have. If they want to ask and talk about it then I dont blame them.
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Thank goodness for a sensible comment. Many things that we dont think about are relevant to our health, or the health of others in our lives. Thirty years ago if a doctor asked if you smoked in your home in the presence of your kids, we might have said MYOB. Now we know of the deadly effects of second hand smoke. If your doctor asks how much alcohol you drink, you might think MYOB, but this has implications in thousands of diseases. If your doctor asks if you are homosexual, you might think MYOB, but again this has implications for risks of many various health conditions. Same with seatbelts, motorcycle helmets, guns in the home, your job ( as it relates to risk of certain diseases and injuries)etc.

By the way, Medicare and many other health insurers will dock or withhold your doctors payment for a visit if he/she doesnt show that they asked certain questions that relate to health and disease prevention EVEN IF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT RELATED TO THE VISIT YOU ARE SEEING THE DOCTOR FOR.

I'm a doctor, gun owner, avid shooter and hunter, concealed carrier. And I understand the reasons that these questions are being asked.

BELIEVE ME, THIS ISNT SO YOUR DOCTOR CAN REPORT YOUR INFO TO "THE MAN" WHO WILL THEN KNOCK DOWN YOUR DOOR AND TAKE YOUR GUNS. C'MON, REALLY.
 
Crew, I never suggested the doctor would report me to the jackbooted thugs we all know exist :)scrutiny: :p) but I do object to any doctor or other individual asking me whether or not I have firearms in my home. I'm a responsible gun owner, have no children in my home, and yet still keep all firearms out of the possible reach of any little ankle biters that might happen to wander into my home.

So I don't need anyone telling me that I need to be safe and keep firearms put away. If others need this kind of lecturing to, then fine. I just indicated that it was none of his business, and he indirectly responded back to me that he agreed that it wasn't any of his concern. I don't need a doctor, or the government, telling me what I should or shouldn't do in the privacy of my home. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
 
In the last two years I have had to find a new primary physician and have also seen a neuroligist for the first time. Last year the orthopedic guy wanted a record update since it had been several years since my last visit. I had three surgeries last year and had to fill out the questionaires at the hospital for each. Spent 9 weeks in therapy at a different hospital and had to do the questionaire and spent 10 weeks the second time with another questionaire.The guns in home question wasn't on any of them.

The PO that did my follow-up on two of the surgeries and I had some interesting discussions on ARs and some handguns. My state has very liberal gun laws. I guess most places just consider that you own guns.
 
It is the implicit mistrust that crosses the line. The existence or possession of firearms are NOT the cause of any health related issue with gunshot wounds, irresponsibility IS.

It is the PEOPLE who do dumb things with firearms that cause injury and death. No different than irresponsible USE of knives, cars, baseball bats, plastic bags, bathtubs, hammers, blankets, swimming pools, household chemicals, open electrical wires, lead paint, etc., etc., etc, all of whaich has resulted in the death or serious injury of children.

Maybe patients should come up with their own questionaire for physicians offices:

1) Any drug/alcohol dependencies by any of the caregiver staff?
2) Any history of errors in diagnosis, treatment or pharmaceutical prescriptions?
3) Any lead based paint on any of the office walls? Any asbestos anywhere?
4) Etc., you get the idea.

Dan
 
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AS IT IS SAID IN A POST ABOVE - "It is the PEOPLE who do dumb things with firearms that cause injury and death"

I AGREE - But how does a doctor know which are the people who "do dumb things" unless he/she is able to ask some questions like " IF YOU OWN FIREARMS, HOW DO YOU STORE THEM"
 
crew said:
AS IT IS SAID IN A POST ABOVE - "It is the PEOPLE who do dumb things with firearms that cause injury and death"

I AGREE - But how does a doctor know which are the people who "do dumb things" unless he/she is able to ask some questions like " IF YOU OWN FIREARMS, HOW DO YOU STORE THEM"
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There are thousands of things that parents can do irresponibly that could adversely affect the health of their children.

Are they going to spend a few hours asking about all of these?

Parents have an inherent reponsibility for the safety and health of their children. The medical establishment has no business implicitly mistrusting parents in this regard.

Dan
 
30,000 firearm deaths per year in the US. The majority of those occur in populations with heavy drug use or a long history of crime.

100,000 iatrogenic deaths a year (doctor accidents)
100,000 nosocomial deaths a year (hospital induced infections)

Next time you see that form see if has the words AMA or American Medical Assocation at the top. They like to claim they represent the majority of doctors but they don't. They like to claim they are impartial but they aren't. Their priorities are all out of whack.


.
 
bergmen said:
There are thousands of things that parents can do irresponibly that could adversely affect the health of their children.

Are they going to spend a few hours asking about all of these?

Parents have an inherent reponsibility for the safety and health of their children. The medical establishment has no business implicitly mistrusting parents in this regard.

Dan
Click to expand...

I disagree. I would not say a pediatrician is showing a lack of trust by asking questions about guns, pools, smoking, etc. Actually a lot of pediatricians spend just as much time talking to the parents about being parents as they do actually examining the kid. I noticed this with my first one and so was watching for it with the second. Sure enough he did the same thing. So they do spend a lot of time talking about the more obvious dangers.

Again, put yourself in there shoes. The poster earlier made the correct point when he pointed out the obvious fallacy in the 'I know what I am doing therefore they dont need to ask me' argument. How do they know if they dont ask. I bet my pediatrician has heard soem real bonehead answers in the past. Imagine the 'Q-Do you have a pool? A-Yes Q-Do you have a child gate? No. We dont need one. I stay at home so I can watch them 24-7' exchange. Or the Q-Do you own a firearms A yes. B Do you keep them in a safe? A-No. We just keep them up high in the closet so the kids cant reach them.' Those are realities the pediatricians deal with every day. They also have probably lost patients to this kind of ignorance. I have a lto of respect for pediatricians. Little kids can bring the most fun, but the biggest heardache too.


I am playing a little devils advocate here and just trying to see there point of view. I do see some merit with pediatricians.
 
My significant-other is a nurse who works in a cancer clinic. They do ask psych-related questions, looking for signs of depression and/or suicidal thoughts and get them help if needed / desired. However they do not ask any firearms related questions.

Regardless, whatever information you enter on a form at your doctor's office is going to end up in a variety of insurance and governmental databases for now and forever.
 
I don't understand why people freak out about this. It's a simple question on a form. Don't want to answer it truthfully? Lie. So what?
The worst that really happens if you say yes is that they give you a lecture about gun safety. OH NO!
 
Cars too?

Medical Questionnaire (spoofing): 1. do you own a car. 2. do you drive it safely. 3. Has your car killed anyone when driven by you. 4. Are you aware that cars kill more people than guns? 5. Has you car ever been stolen and used to commit a crime? 6. Do you allow children to play with your car?
It could go on and on and probably will in the future as the Nannie State takes over your freedom.
 
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