Doctor asks-guns in the house?

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My Dr. asks a similar question every time I go in to see him, "You got any new guns this time?" or "Guess what I got." He was brought up proper and taught to shoot by his dad, who used to be my Dr. Two of the finest gentlemen I've ever had the honor to know.:)
 
I sometimes wonder about how answering doctors questions could influence one's insurance premiums. Perhaps my health insurer takes a dim view of firearms? I do know my insurance company (BC/BS) asks my doctor for my cholesterol count (btw, it's just fine, thanks :). ) so I assume they might ask for other information as well.
 
I would leave that one blank... Then ask the doc when he walked in. I've met some cool doctors and some deuches... Welcom to health care. Theres a few I'd tell and others I don't even want to know my name.
 
In doc school and doc literature, we're taught that this is part of "public health". Coming right out of school, you're usually talking "city slicker" for sure.


The fellow who replied, "No, doc, I'm wearing it!" -- PRICELESS!!!


I think it would be great to give a great big smile and tell the fella something about how many years you've been shooting, and offer to take him to a gun range some time and let him get some safety instruction himself! I think that would make a lasting impression and possibly win an ally.
 
If you don't wish to answer, just cross them out or write N/A, and exert some sense of maturity.

As others have stated, this is a relavent question if you are being prescribed some medication that has known psychological side-effects. It is there so that your physician can weigh the benifit of the medication with the potential risks.

Also, as DIVEMedic said, and as I will also attest, HIPPA is a very scary piece of legislation for healthcare providers. Basically, it says that if you have so much as a slip of the tongue that can remotely lead the identification of a patient, that slip of the tongue can result in a felony conviction for you. All because someone found out John Q. Public went to the doctor for a tummy ache. Yes, its that merciless, and its very hard for most lay people to relate. If you're in the medical profession you live in a sort of communist state with the specter of thought-crimes looming over you.

As a result, most health-care providers tend to be skittish about talking about patients with anyone who is NOT a health-care provider. From my end, I will only hesitantly talk to family about a patient's medical history, never mind a stranger or anyone else not directly connected with that patient's care.

Also, keep in mind that Doctors are in addition to being Doctors are also Scientists, Epidemiologists, and Public Health officials. While 99.999% of the populace only sees a doctor as someone who fixes their boo-boo, many doctors also conduct research and publish in peer-review journals. It is not uncommon for an MD to both be seeing patients and to also be presenting studies (based on their patients, or patients at their facility) at professional meetings or in medical journals. In fact, its not rare for some MDs to divide their time 50/50 between practicing medicine and research.

And that is the reason why there is that small seemingly random and inconsequential question on a questionare that makes you go "why'd they want to know that?!" Check it, you might be helping to improve either medicine, public health, or both.
 
I'm due for a physical at the HMO I've belonged to for 30+ years. If they ever asked me about firearms, I have no memory of it. But I'll be prepared with a response if they ask me this time. I'm thinking of something along the lines of "I'm a patriotic American. OF COURSE I have firearms in my home. Don't you?!?" and see what they say. Either that or "I dunno, just put me down for whatever's the right answer" ... :)
 
Doctor: Do you have guns in the house?

Patient: Yes we do. Do you commit malpractice? According to the Centers for Disease Control, accidental deaths due to malpractice outnumber accidental deaths from gunshot wounds by 4 to 1.
 
This has been discussed at length on this and other boards. I saw a pdf file that had two forms on it during one of those discussions. I've tried valiantly to relocate the thing on the net - to no avail. Anyway, one form was a waiver that the doc would be asked to sign, stating that he has firearms training and is qualified to give advice on the safe handling/storage of firearms. That form also asked him/her to provide information about their malpractice insurance, should their claims about firearms knowledge be false. The second page was an informational sheet from some lawyer-type addressed to the medical field in general. It basically said, "Keep asking these questions, and it will eventually bite you in the ass."
 
I went for a job related physical last November. As the nurse was taking my blood pressure, she noticed my second amendment arm band. She asked what it was. I told her, and she lit up! She had a shotgun, was looking for info on getting a handgun and a CCW. When the doctor came in, the nurse outed me as a gun guy, and the doc started in asking questions about her Mini 14 and her .357. The rest of the physical was completed as the 3 of us discussed guns.

Best physical I ever took!

After the physical, while I was waiting for my paperwork, the nurse and I went out to sit in my car where I cleared my G-26 and let her examine it.

I stopped back in a few days before Christmas with a box of goodies for the nurse and the doc. Only the nurse was there. She came out to the waiting area where we had a nice talk. She tried hugging me a few times to see if she could tell that I was carrying. We discussed the new County Shooting Park and the fact that she was going gun shopping that weekend. I'll be "advising" and helping as she and as many of the staff as she can recruit move into the land of 2A.

Point is... act normal, don't hide your gun interest. You never know when you'll run across someone who is sympathetic and interested. :)

DD
 
My kid's pediatricians office has the same question and they ask it at checkups. I mark through it on forms and have asked on numerous occasions how it is relevant to my child's health. We're trying to move, otherwise we'd go through the hassle of finding a new pediatrician.
 
I love living in the South
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My doc is a shooter, reloader. hunter, collector and does some gunsmithing. We always talk about guns when I'm there. He even has NRA magazines in the lobby and a sticker on his door:D

Our pediatrician has never asked.
 
Ants

The prize response!:neener:

Doctor: Do you have guns in the house? Patient: Yes we do. Do you commit malpractice? According to the Centers for Disease Control, accidental deaths due to malpractice outnumber accidental deaths from gunshot wounds by 4 to 1.
Click to expand...
 
Tin Foil hat time:
The Feds want ALL medical records to be electronic.
No one has offered to state the access limitations that would apply.
Just lie about the question. There's no law against it and it doesn't come into play in your treatment.
That advice was given to me by my Doc.

AFS
 
My family doctor and I spend more time talking hunting and fishing the about why I'm there. It's all good!
 
The culture of civility has to work in all directions, and I do believe in a culture of civility.
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Some people confuse civility and servility.

I'm polite to service people. I don't let them walk over me or run my life.
 
"Yes, I own guns. And now you're the only other person who knows it. If they're ever stolen, I'll make sure that the police are made abundantly aware of that fact."
 
You forgot swimming pools. Lifetime odds of dying in a swimming pool is 1/5,501. Odds of dying in a firearms accident 1/5,981.

So your chances of dying from a pool is better than firearms. And yet we don't think twice about taking a swim on a hot day. Of course all of us gun owners probably already know this.
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So who's the problem here? Us or them? We'll let the entire neighborhood use our pool as long as we are watching, but I'll be damned if you are going to let anyone touch your guns, loaded or not. (Not you specifically) Not to say guns aren't dangerous but if we ourselves treat them like the Holy Grail, why do we not expect the rest of the nation to also?

For the millionth or so time, we are our own worst enemies.
 
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