How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun own

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mlw270win
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How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun own

Post by mlw270win »

I read this on another form ( The HighRoad.org) and thought some of you might find it as interesting as I did.
http://www.haciendapub.com/medicalsenti ... ors-office
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by pricedo »

mlw270win wrote:I read this on another form ( The HighRoad.org) and thought some of you might find it as interesting as I did.
http://www.haciendapub.com/medicalsenti ... ors-office
I have had the experience and when the question was repeated (I ignored it the first time) by the doctor in the presence of his nurse/secretary who I presume was recording the information in my clinic computer records I responded......"With all due respect sir & madam the presence or absence of firearms in my home has absolutely nothing to do with my medical treatment and I formally request at this time that my answer to this question or any statement about me in reference to firearms NOT be recorded in my clinic files both digital and written".

In more provincial terms my answer was essentially....."None of your f'n business."

The doctor who I've known for a while said ......."If that's what you wish sir (sarcastically)".

I repeated......"That's what I wish".

The topic was never raised again.

I like the man but his liberal smugness and presumption of superiority and entitlement to interfere & intercede with my life for my own good cause I'm just a dumb neanderthal showed through his normal polite manner like a sore thumb that day.

I'll tell my doctor about my health issues and the gunsmith about my gun issues and "ne'er the twain shall meet".
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by mlw270win »

Mine has never ask but I would certainly change doctors if he every did!
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by pricedo »

mlw270win wrote:Mine has never ask but I would certainly change doctors if he every did!
My doctor is good at his job............my life depends on him being good at his job...........I won't dump him and possibly wind up with some flunky because of a failure to communicate about personal privacy & trust boundaries in a doctor/patient relationship...........I just reminded him that he should stick to his job and keep his nose out of things that aren't directly related to my physical health.

There are strict moral and legal criteria governing a doctor/patient relationships and using that unique relationship as leverage for what is essentially quasi-political activism, meddling and prying is an immoral and ILLEGAL breach of trust and I won't tolerate it.
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by Arroyoshark »

I think some of this issue may be related to veterans healthcare services, and possibly to federally funded healthcare. The danger is with the patient who is seeking help with depression or PTSS who admits when asked by Dic if there are firearms in the home. If the patient is diagnosed w these symptoms, could he be prohibited from possession of firearms.

Another issue has arisen with Obama's recent executive order attempting to get around privacy rote cations afforded by HIPA Law, by encouraging physicians to report observed destabilizing symptoms with his patient to federal registry, especially if te patient answers affirmatively whether there are firearms in the home. This indeed coud be a slippery slope.

I think it best to firm a polite but neutral reply to such a question.
When sitting down to clean a gun, the first step is to load another gun - Elmer Keith
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by pricedo »

It doesn't have to get that complicated!
Just fall back on good ole plan A - LIE !

OR (if you insist on being truthful)

When you experience the loss of a loved one or get diagnosed with a serious/terminal illness expect a Deputy Sheriff or two at your door with a warrant to seize your guns after doc drops a dime on you just when you thought things couldn't get any worse.

I have found that it's better to keep other people (including doctors & wives) as little informed about my business as possible.
I keep my business on a "need to know" basis with other people.
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by joec »

To be honest I can't remember a single doctor or even a nurse asking me about guns. This includes the bullets I had taken out of me over the years. The local police had question but never heard a word from a doctor and any reaction when my side arm was taken off and put with my personal effects. Now I can understand the Veterans Administration asking in some cases as some one above pointed out however though I've never been in the service and don't receive their benefits I did serve in a civilian capacity for a few years as a security contractor. After some of the things I saw, I can imagine why they would ask returning soldiers about guns. This is especially true with the high rate of suicide with them today, but then it has always seemed high to me even in my days around the Viet Nam era but still not like today..
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by runfiverun »

i put a N/A in that box.
never been questioned about it either.
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Re: How to respond to your doctor if s/he asks you about gun

Post by pricedo »

runfiverun wrote:i put a N/A in that box.
never been questioned about it either.
I coulda did that where my "N/A" meant Numerous Arms :mrgreen: but I purposely chose to set a personal boundary limit in our relationship, namely medical matters only and stay out of my private life.
You gotta set boundaries with NEO-LIBERALS or they'll just butt into all aspects of your life and take over cause they're so so superior.
Some people think doctors are "he who must be obeyed" gods above the lot of mere mortals, especially the older people, and will let them take liberties with what I consider privacy violations & meddling that they would find unacceptable ordinarily.
In shorter terms they are SCARED of their doctors.
I'm not one of the older people who will tolerate meddling and become quite irate and vocal when it happens.
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