Doctors asking if there are guns in your home?

I've had two different docs who were good guys, good docs and who used to ask if I was getting out shooting and hunting, and they were glad to hear if I was.

 

I have no problem lying, "No guns in my house. My wife and I don't like guns!"

 

My doctor is a shooter and knows that I have a FFL. I've sold guns to several doctors that work at the local hospital. If I happened to be asked by a strange doctor I would probably tell them that it was none of their business.

 

The only time I was ever asked was once when I was applying for a job in a medical office and the only reason I was asked was because I told the Dr. interviewing me I was currently working as a security guard. He got all excited and started trying to talk guns with me and I watched his office manager roll her eyes. I'm sure she was thinking "Oh GAWD not THIS again."

I'm currently going through a disability claim with the VA and I'm a little concerned that someone is going to ask me. If I get asked I'm going to tell them I had to buy one for work but that I'm not currently working armed and let it go.

I haven't read this entire discussion so this isn't directed at anyone in particular but every time this topic comes up somebody starts talking about how they're going to give the doctor a ration for even asking the question.

My (minimal) experience in the medical field is that medical clinics are sausage factories. I was never really connected to the business side of things but I got the distinct impression that most medical practices operate on a very thin profit margin. They want you in and out as fast as possible because the more patients they see the more money they make.

IME the last thing most medical practices want is for a patient to foul up the assembly line. If you present a unique problem they will deal with it in the most expedient manner possible with turning the room being the most important factor.

One of the clinics I worked in was an Orthopedic Surgeon under an HMO. He stayed double booked with a six week waiting list and a full standby list the entire time I worked there. If there was a problem patient they gave notice (a doctor can't just fire a patient he/she is required to give them time to find a new provider) and drop them.

My point is that if you insist on giving the doctor a ration about your second amendment rights his most likely response (regardless of his opinion of the second amendment) is going to be to drop you and if you tell him you'll take your business elsewhere he's going to say "OK" and his assistant will have a standby in your slot before you get your car started.

ETA It's also been my experience that if you answer anything but a straight "No" they mark "Yes" and ask the next question.

Most of the clinics I worked in tried to flip the room every 15 minutes. I've never seen a doctor start a conversation with a patient that wasn't exactly related to their visit.

 

This summer, I had a physician's assistant stitching up a cut (no huge deal, just needed a few), and she asked me about carry. I'm thinking it was the 5.11 khakis with a polo shirt look. Pretty lady. Said she carries a compact 9.

 

A country doc I went to in rural Southeast Louisiana last decade when living there was a trophy hunter with a third of the waiting room occupied by some of his trophys from all over the globe as well as locally shot. As has been common in my life I received a higher standard of individually tailored care at that clinic than many practices I've been a patient at in medium to large population cities.

No he never asked me if I had any guns but volunteered information from his own experience once he knew I was interested.

He's the fella on the left in this photo.

https://caroclinic.com

Looks like some moved into his office after the building was remodeled. My kind of practice!

https://caroclinic.com/physicians/

 

No. Never heard about this in the Memphis area. My dentist in Midtown has an available Sig P229 in case a thug ever endangered the several ladies on his staff.

This situation might be a one-of-a-kind: two young doctors I know, in radiology and geriatrics medicine, were >> In An Actual Gunfight, at a Gun Deal meeting <<, in "downtown Memphis".

They live downtown, and had gone there to sell an AR. The geriatrics guy still has a bullet in his leg.
Both of these doctors carry quite often, and we've made several gun/ammo deals.

 

I'm pretty sure I've told this story before but the doctor that got all hot and bothered when he found out I was a security guard had a pain management practice.

So the majority of his patients were on opioids and he had opioids in the office.

Shortly after I started there he came into the front office and told me that he would be OK with me carrying a gun at work in case someone tried to rob the clinic.

The office manager was sitting in the office while he was talking to me and didn't say a word.

The Instant he left the office she turned around and told me that if I ever came to work with a gun I would be terminated on the spot regardless of what the doctor said.

I believed her.

 

I would tell him, "when the AMA starts giving accuracy or safety classes, and the NRA starts giving brain surgery classes, then and only then will I respond to that question."

 

And he'll mark "Yes" on your chart and move on to the next question. You sure showed him huh?

 

My biggest problem with this whole discussion is that it's not something the Doctor would normally trouble himself to ask you.

This kind if question would be on the pre appointment screening and they'd either just have you fill it out in the waiting room (most likely) or the Medical Assistant would ask you while she's taking your vitals. The only exception to that would be if the Doctor were going to prescribe a drug such as Lyrica (which has a known side effect of increasing suicidal ideation and tendencies) to you and then it just might be a legitimate question.

All that said almost every Doctor I have ever met has been pretty arrogant and every single one of them has been absolutely convinced they're the smartest guy in the room no matter what roomthey're in.

So if it makes you feel better to tell the Doctor to mind his own business or it makes you feel like you're some how In charge of the interaction knock yourself out. But don't for one second think that you are going to change his opinion on anything and don't think you're going to keep him from putting whatever he wants in your record. If nothing else he'll mark "No" with an annotation that in his medical opinion you're lying and that this may indicate an underlying psychological issue.

And before you tell me that the doctor can't do that, you need to understand that those medical records are not your property they're the doctor's. Almost every Clinic I ever worked in when you left that Doctors Care when you got another doctor they contacted our office and we set the charts directly to them. We did not give them to the patient

Now what?

 

I have never been ask...Nobody else's business but my own and since I have gotten older it seems I see them a little more often these days...

 

Why heck yeah. A nail gun, a glue gun, a chalk gun. Firearms is where the conversation gets NYB.

 

I'm not on any pain or psychological meds, don't want any, and rarely go to the doctor.
If that question is on a form I write N/A on it - I don't care if they mark that as a "yes" later.
Mr. CDW4ME do you own any guns?
Me thinking, ... like the one on me


How is that related to a sore throat?
Mark that as a yes, I don't care.

 

i visit doctors 10-12 times each year, mostly VA doctors. No doctor has ever asked me about owning firearms.

 

I have never been asked that question by any doctor in or outside the Va.

 

Good lord man are there any homes in Alaska with out a gun. Not many if any I’d wager. Must have been a lower 48 liberal teacher.

 

I know I've said this before but I just can't get around the fact that this just is not a question that a doctor would bother to ask you. Unless he was just making random conversation or trying to build a rapport with the patient.

The only exception that I could see to that, as I said earlier, is if he was going to prescribe you a medication with a known side effect of causing suicidal ideation.

When I worked for the pain management doctor he told me that one of the biggest challenges of his practice was these people are in debilitating chronic pain for years and after a while it gets to them and they start showing signs of clinical depression.

So the doctor puts them on medication for that and the medication for depression causes suicidal ideation. So in a situation like that it's legitimate for the doctor to ask.

The next person who would ask is the Medical Assistant and even there I still don't see it.

I worked as a temp at a place called Mountain View Medical Clinic. They told me that they expected me to have a patient in a room ready to see the doctor within THREE MINUTES. That included height, weight, vitals and updating the patient's records in terms of medications and any new allergies. That also included a brief history of why the patient was seeing the doctor today.

Pt. states left Testicle is inflamed X72hrs. Pt. thinks he may have been bitten by a Brown Recluse. Pt. denies any previous HX of spider bites.

Again, I just can't see the MA asking that question unless instructed to do so.

The most likely place you're going to see that question is on your initial intake paperwork.

And, last thing, as I said earlier give the doctor a ration. Make yourself a pain in the ass and watch out fast you're looking for another provider.

I don't think I've ever worked in a clinic that didn't have a waiting list. If you tell a doctor that you're going to take your business elsewhere he's very likely to wish you godspeed and he'll never think about you again. He won't even notice you're gone

 

In retrospect, I can't say for certain that the actual doctor asked. Could have been a nurse or nurse practitioner. My experiences with being asked were during the Q&A part "Do you smoke? Drink? Do any illicit drugs? Have you travelled to any of these countries in Africa in the last year? Do you have firearms in your home? Do you feel safe in your home? Have you been in jail in Mexico in the last 10 years?"

I just have a clear recollection of being asked on more than one occasion, and the only times I've sought medical attention in the last 10 years were 2 sinus infections, stitches for a nasty dog bite, and surgery for double hernia. Never for anything serious.

 

I believe I had a similar experience with this years ago. I said the same thing. It is none of their business. They shouldn’t ask and you should find a new doctor if it’s an issue.https://www.usacarry.com/doctors-patient-owns-gun/

 

Never been asked by any of my doctors. My GP was career Army as a doctor and retired in the last few years and moved to this area to practice, so not sure if I'm more or less surprised for him.

On the other hand, a coworker, well now former coworker since he left for the other job, applied to work for the Sheriff's Dept in the next county as a corrections deputy. They asked him how many guns he owns, if he specifically owned any ARs and asked for brands and calibers, etc.. Seemed a bit excessive but I understand it is law enforcement so at least its pertinent in that case.