Canada: Editorial - A doctor's duty to report

[WAGCEVP]

PUBLICATION: Edmonton Journal
DATE: 2004.04.16
EDITION: Final
SECTION: Opinion
PAGE: A16
SOURCE: Ottawa Citizen

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A doctor's duty to report

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An Ottawa Citizen editorial:

The misuse of firearms is a clear threat to public health. As such, a law requiring all hospitals in Ontario to report gunshot wounds to police is a justified and limited intrusion into patient-doctor confidentiality.

Dr. Howard Ovens is on the executive of the Ontario Medical Association's emergency-medicine section. Four years ago, his emergency department found itself stuck between police and a shooting victim who didn't want to talk. The police had no warrant, so the staff refused to collaborate.

Following that incident, Dr. Ovens polled other emergency rooms and found confusion about what medical staff are supposed to do. Dr. Ovens is now calling for mandatory-reporting legislation and the Ontario government has passed a motion to introduce just such a law. This has created controversy in the medical community. Opponents of mandatory reporting point out that most gunshot incidents in Canada are the result of suicides, attempted suicides and accidents, not homicides or attempted homicides.Hospitals aren't in the business of investigating criminal behaviour, but they do have a duty to be vigilant in matters of public health and safety. Requiring them to report gunshot incidents will help them fulfil that duty.

 

[rich2u]

I don't think I have a problem with a doctor contacting the police while he's treating a gunshot victim. Maybe other than the slippery road theory.

 

[JoeSF]

If gun shot wounds aren't even reported I wonder how this factors into Michael Moore-ons "Bowling" propaganda?

 

[tyme]

Why not report stab wounds, too? Amputations? Blunt force trauma?

What's special about gunshot wounds? It's not as if there are rebellious firearms floating around waiting to kill again unless stopped by the police.

 

[sendec]

Typically the police know about gunshots, stab wounds, amputations and the like prior to them hitting the ED door. I would find it hard to justify NOT informing the police on the rare occasion that a GSW made it to the hospital with out the police already involved. If the person dies, well, the coroner and cops pretty much need to know. Sometimes those rebellious people floating around do need to be stopped before they kill again, with a gun.

Besides, one trip through the typical metro/urban ED on Saturday night will find the cops there, all the time, anyway.

 

[WT]

Many US states, probably a majority, require health care professionals to report gunshot wounds, knife wounds, even large burns. See link.

http://www.aaos.org/wordhtml/abuse/ststatut.htm

Some states also require that auto mechanics report bullet holes in auto bodies. Dont' have a link for that.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Police or security are frequently around when we treat gunshot wound victims.

It is not unheard of for the perpetrator to decide to show up at the hospital to try to finish the job.

 

[Bruce H]

Since its been proven that doctors cause more injury and death than firearms who reports them. The media is looking in the wrong place as usual.

 

[Standing Wolf]

The misuse of firearms is a clear threat to public health.

There's that "public health" notion again. It keeps cropping up all over the place.

 

[fallingblock]

You know, Standing Wolf....

"There's that "public health" notion again. It keeps cropping up all over the place."
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"public" as in "public funds", "public property". "public radio"

What the leftists tell us is 'good' for us.

 

[greyhound]

Personally, I don't have a problem with them having to report gunshot wounds. I think if it leads to solving crimes, its along the lines of "blame the person, not the object".

Obviously this could be twisted into an anti- argument, but on the surface it seems fine.