Doctors Asking Parents about gun ownership

[Hmac]

I've been trying to think of the best reply to convey why asking the question is improper. How about something along this line?

"How is using your professional position to ask a partisan political question not a breach of medical ethics? And if you claim it is based on health concerns, why have you not inquired about other potentially dangerous tools in the home? MYOB Doc."

Kinda wordy and awkward. Wordsmithing welcome.

You can make that statement if it will somehow make you feel better, but you run the risk of being fired as a patient. That doctor is trying to do his job the best he/she can according to the commonly applied best practices. They don't necessarily have any particular political ax to grind. There's no reason to for you to be rude, just as there's no reason that that doctor has to put up with it. He/she could easily just terminate the visit and ask you to find a new doctor rather than putting up with rudeness.



/

[Lumpy]

My Dr asked me when I asked to have my lead levels checked.

Now that would be a legitimate situation to ask if you shoot regularly.

[farmerj]

Because of my divorce, my ex kept bringing up my "interest" in guns and said it was unnatural. Forget that I was in the army at the time as an mp and looking at a deployment to Iraq as well.

A counselor I was required to go see wanted to discuss it one day. Saying how wrong it was to want to teach the girls about guns. So I asked her why its appropriate for my ex to teach them about archery but not OK for me to have them attend the mn DNR gun safety course or use the NRA Eddie eagle program for them.



Counselors answer......

"Archery is an Olympic sport."

[Grayskies]

Because of my divorce, my ex kept bringing up my "interest" in guns and said it was unnatural. Forget that I was in the army at the time as an mp and looking at a deployment to Iraq as well.

A counselor I was required to go see wanted to discuss it one day. Saying how wrong it was to want to teach the girls about guns. So I asked her why its appropriate for my ex to teach them about archery but not OK for me to have them attend the mn DNR gun safety course or use the NRA Eddie eagle program for them.



Counselors answer......

"Archery is an Olympic sport."

But, so is shooting.
http://www.usashooting.org/about/olympi ... pic-events
http://www.olympic.org/biathlon

The Biathlon has to be hard!

[BigBlue]

To the collective group - why wouldn't you answer the question honestly?

I wouldn't answer the question at all because:

1) Whatever info you provide will eventually make its way into a nationwide (read: government maintained) database that could be used for who knows what.
and
2) Insurance providers are looking for any ways to charge more for more 'risky' insureds and I could easily see them increasing premiums for a gun owner, just like for smokers (an attribute that actually does impact health).

It is not a valid health-related question. I and every member of my family that owns guns and every friend I have that owns guns has had them for a lifetime and never had a health impact from them. This is not info the government or insurance companies have right to ask nor a valid interest in knowing about. See comments above about the rabidly anti-gun doctor that Obummer so loves...

BB

[Uffdaphil]

If the doc just included guns along with poisons, electrical outlets etc as things you need to protect your kids from having access to, I would be fine with it. But he pretends to need to know whether you have them or not to issue safety warnings. You may think he is just doing his job. I think he has an anti-gun agenda in the vast majority of cases.

So I will respond to his nose in my business by calling him on it. "Commonly applied best practices" is a contradiction in terms. It's common all right, but has nothing to do with the practice of medicine. More patients making them uncomfortable asking the question just might put a stop to it.

[farmerj]

Because of my divorce, my ex kept bringing up my "interest" in guns and said it was unnatural. Forget that I was in the army at the time as an mp and looking at a deployment to Iraq as well.

A counselor I was required to go see wanted to discuss it one day. Saying how wrong it was to want to teach the girls about guns. So I asked her why its appropriate for my ex to teach them about archery but not OK for me to have them attend the mn DNR gun safety course or use the NRA Eddie eagle program for them.



Counselors answer......

"Archery is an Olympic sport."

But, so is shooting.
http://www.usashooting.org/about/olympi ... pic-events
http://www.olympic.org/biathlon

The Biathlon has to be hard!

That was my answer too. She said I was being argumentative. It just shows the mentality of some of these folks we, as a society, have allowed to have control.

[linksep]

I've been trying to think of the best reply to convey why asking the question is improper. How about something along this line?

"How is using your professional position to ask a partisan political question not a breach of medical ethics? And if you claim it is based on health concerns, why have you not inquired about other potentially dangerous tools in the home? MYOB Doc."

Kinda wordy and awkward. Wordsmithing welcome.

I would never answer this question in the affirmative. Suggestions:

1) Say no. It's only illegal if you are carrying at the time and lying to a cop.
2) Start freaking out and causing a scene..."OH MY GAWD!!! I HAVE LEAD POISONING!!! I knew that time Suzie Anderson stabbed me with a pencil in 3rd grade would give me lead poisoning! Be straight with me Doc, how long do I have left?"
3) I fish a lot with lead weights (or do a lot of pottery with lead glaze). <-- If you're worried about lead.

[Hmac]

So I will respond to his nose in my business by calling him on it.

Do what you have to do, but no one likes dealing with rude customers. I'm sure you won't have trouble finding another doctor if and when he fires you.

[Rip Van Winkle]

I answer the question of whether I have guns in the home the same way I answer the other personal questions like if I wear a seat belt or not.

Sorry Doc. It's none of your business and has no bearing on my care.

[Rip Van Winkle]

So I will respond to his nose in my business by calling him on it.

Do what you have to do, but no one likes dealing with rude customers. I'm sure you won't have trouble finding another doctor if and when he fires you.

I find your wording curious. "Customers" and "fire you"? I've never considered myself my doctor's customer, I'm his patient. I guess a doctor could tell you to get another doctor, but I don't think he could legally or ethically refuse to treat you.

[Hmac]

So I will respond to his nose in my business by calling him on it.

Do what you have to do, but no one likes dealing with rude customers. I'm sure you won't have trouble finding another doctor if and when he fires you.

I find your wording curious. "Customers" and "fire you"? I've never considered myself my doctor's customer, I'm his patient. I guess a doctor could tell you to get another doctor, but I don't think he could legally or ethically refuse to treat you.

Rendering care in an emergency has a different set of ethics and legalities, but otherwise of course he can refuse to treat you, legally and ethically, then tell you to find another doctor.

[Erud]

Because of my divorce, my ex kept bringing up my "interest" in guns and said it was unnatural. Forget that I was in the army at the time as an mp and looking at a deployment to Iraq as well.

A counselor I was required to go see wanted to discuss it one day. Saying how wrong it was to want to teach the girls about guns. So I asked her why its appropriate for my ex to teach them about archery but not OK for me to have them attend the mn DNR gun safety course or use the NRA Eddie eagle program for them.



Counselors answer......

"Archery is an Olympic sport."

That's a pretty bizarre statement. I wonder if she would have the same reaction if you wanted to teach you kids about non-Olympic sports like football, golf, or bowling?

[jgalt]

The only answer that makes sense is a straight-faced "No".

Anything else will result in either nothing (if the doc really doesn't care about the question and is simply "following orders") or a notation that won't be any different than if you answered "yes".

[Ghost]

The only answer that makes sense is a straight-faced "No".

Anything else will result in either nothing (if the doc really doesn't care about the question and is simply "following orders") or a notation that won't be any different than if you answered "yes".

That is my opinion on it. Plus when I've seen the question asked it's usually "Do you own a gun" and the answer is no. As I own many guns .

Also another good answer is "heaven's no" while bringing your open hand to your chest and inhaling with your mouth wide open in an aghast fashion.