Doctor's asking children strange questions.

Posted by $ Abaco 12 years, 6 months ago to Culture
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Tonight I spoke with another father at my son's karate class. His daughter, a year older than my boy, recently had a visit with a pediatrician at Kaiser. They asked my friend to leave the room. Then, they asked the little girl if her father ever touched her inappropriately and if there were guns in the house. The dad is a tall, fit, handsome guy who's very well spoken and seems to be a great father and family man. This really trips me out, that doctors would be asking such questions, let alone asking the parent to leave the room. Has anybody else experienced something similar? Is this normal?


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  • Posted by Non_mooching_artist 12 years, 6 months ago
    Yes! Last year during both of my kids' yearly exams, they were asked if there were guns in the house. My kids were shocked, but knew it was NONE of their business. They answered unequivocally "NO". I posted this almost a year ago, and said because of the Feds invasion into our healthcare, and the involvement of the IRS, it's actually an insidious way to have gun registration. Don't think the government won't see these "private" records.
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  • Posted by Robbie53024 12 years, 6 months ago
    I would never leave an underage child alone with anyone, doctor or no. Once they were teenagers, I would turn my back or turn away.

    While I understand that there are those out there that harm children, this is putting barriers and suspicion in the parent child relationship that doesn't need to be there. If there isn't a reasonable reason to suspect something, this should be prohibited.
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  • Posted by glamisstorm 12 years, 6 months ago
    When my daughter was in highschool, she had to have a physical exam to be able to participate in school sports. Since she was spending the day with her grandmother on the day of her exam appointment, her grandmother offered to take her to the pediatrician. I picked her up from her Grandma's house that evening, and as we rode home, she said that the doctor had asked her if there were guns in the house. A asked her what her answer was and she told the truth; "yes". I assured her that she was not in any trouble for being truthful. However!! The next day I calmly walked into the doctor's office and told them that my daughter was not sure if she had answered all of the "Have you had this disease", or "have you had that shot etc." questions correctly, and asked to see the sheest that were filled out so that I could be sure that her medical records were filled out correctly. They handed me one sheet that had all of the medical questions but nothing about gun in the home. I asked if there was another sheet, and they produce it. Sure enough, there was the question "Are there any guns in your home?" I called the secretary back over to the window and as she watched, I folded up the sheet and put it in my hip pocket and told she would not get it back, and I walk out. They were not happy, but then, neither was I. Think about it, this local pediatrician office has records of hundreds of people in our community that own guns.
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  • Posted by mckenziecalhoun 12 years, 6 months ago
    As a teacher I have often been surprised at the topics that came up in the curriculum, the questions I was told were part of that curriculum.
    As a mandated report (I have to report suspected child abuse or I can go to jail) I understand a doctor having to ask if they suspect something - I would brave hellfire and brimstone rather than let the chance to ask that child that question out of earshot of the parent IF I had reason for suspicion.
    But to just ask as routine questioning? That is a parent's right, NOT mine, not a doctors, just on the basis of simple ethics.

    I do not fear this government. Fear blinds you.
    If I see this behavior I will do everything I can legally and ethically to speak up. Do the same. This is only the beginning if you let this go.
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    • Posted by amagi 12 years, 6 months ago
      Thanks, Mckenziecalhoun, for a fine post. "I do not
      fear this government. Fear blinds you." Great words
      to be remembered. I abhor this administration as well as a few before this one.
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      • Posted by mckenziecalhoun 12 years, 6 months ago
        Better - instead of thinking of it as separate, something to abhor, make very clear in your mind YOU ARE THE GOVERNMENT. Understand it, fully.

        I can have cancer, but pretending it's separate from me doesn't help me understand and deal with it. Take action, ethically, legally. Now to go follow my own advice... .
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  • Posted by khalling 12 years, 6 months ago
    yes. now under O care-here are the questions your child is asked and 15 is the age they can ask you to leave the room. If your child is under 15-do Not leave the room. If your child is 15, change doctors if they ask you to leave.
    parents touching you inappropriately, have you had homosexual thoughts or acts, are there guns in the home, what drugs are in the house, what prescriptions do your parents take....etc. the list is long and intrusive. My sister-in-law is a primary care physician
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    • Posted by CircuitGuy 12 years, 6 months ago
      We do over a thousand of dollars of business a year with our pediatrician's office, and we would move it immediately if they started this stuff. It would be very foolish to alienate people who pay promptly and refer other affluent people. Foolishness happens, though, so it wouldn't shock me to see it; although I would be completely shocked to see it from our doctors, who are very reasonable.
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      • Posted by Non_mooching_artist 12 years, 6 months ago
        I thought ours was too. We know him socially as well, through sports and band activities our kids were involved in. We were unpleasantly surprised. What I want to know, is, how many actually answer without hesitation, in respect to guns in the home? And what of the kid was pissed off at his parents? And decided to be spiteful? Horrendous repercussions.
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    • Posted by Boothby171 12 years, 6 months ago
      As a liberal, I can tell you we don't care if you have any homosexual thoughts.....think away.
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      • Posted by RobertFl 12 years, 6 months ago
        As a liberal, you don't care? then why is one's sexual orientation a question on HealthCare.gov?
        They do care, because it effects your future healthcare cost. They also ask question if you're a sky-diver or any other high-risk activity. Do they care if you're "gay", not really. Do they know that life style comes with health hazards? Yes.
        When the Chinese, or Russia come marching in here - they may find all those question very usefully as to who goes up against a wall first.
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        • Posted by khalling 12 years, 6 months ago
          robert-
          I don't think it is one of the questions on the application.
          It is a question pediatricians can ask of their children patients
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          • Posted by CircuitGuy 12 years, 6 months ago
            All of this discussion should remind us we have to think for ourselves. I don't tolerate intrusive questions, but I'm not incensed by it. I'm on top of things. People need to be on top of things. You can't trust, doctors, the insurance companies, the gov't, AMA and American Academy of Pediatrics to handle things. You have to dig in a little. When it doubt, you have to follow the footnotes on claims, and at least read the abstract to make sure someone's not speaking from their own agenda. Sometimes they are. This is not a huge disaster. It's an unfortunate fact of life.
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          • Posted by RobertFl 12 years, 6 months ago
            Is there any difference? I somewhat understand a pediatrician asking about touching. Asking about guns, sex-thoughts. I'm sure it extends to asking, if parents are smoking in the house, drinking. this info is used to generate profiles. IF we had trust in our government that this info was secure and being used to actually help us, and improve our lives, that may be ok. Had we not learned of the extent of the NSA - we might not be concerned about this at all.
            With Identity theft, and personal info being hacked. Could potential employers find this information?
            As for asking about touching - that's as close to assuming someone is guilty until proven innocent.
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        • Posted by Boothby171 12 years, 6 months ago
          I helped a friend sign up on Healthcare.gov, I did not see that question. Maybe it flew by under my gaydar...um, radar.
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          • Posted by RobertFl 12 years, 6 months ago
            I can not say first hand if that was asked. It was supposedly one of many such types of 'non-medical' questions asked, that I heard reported, or read about.- I can't think of where it was. I didn't get the sense it was a questionable source - but, then again, who can anyone trust anymore.
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 12 years, 6 months ago
    I've never heard of this, although my kids are 3 and 5. They've never asked me to leave. I would confront the doc about it and use a different doc.
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  • Posted by Kbrattain 12 years, 6 months ago
    These are all typical required questions now that we have entered into the era of Government healthcare. As someone else mentioned there is a financial incentive for Physicians etc. to comply with "Meaningful Use" requirements of the new electronic health records system. Believe me most want nothing to do with this line of questioning but if they do not as then they will not comply with "Meaningful Use" and they will be penalized at minimum 2% on all of their payments by CMS in 2016 and beyond and the penalty goes up latter. Physicians by and large have been vocal about this for the past 5 years but the complaints seemed to fall on deaf ears. Now hopefully the anger from the public will reach critical mass SOON and everyone will start to demand change. This is only the beginning as there are many more of these regulations being released on a schedule over the next 2-3 years. I am one of those Physicians and I am sick and tire of it.
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  • Posted by jneilschulman 12 years, 6 months ago
    When I was asked by a doctor whether I kept guns in my house I said, "Doc, you don't have to worry about that. I have enough guns to defend myself from anyone who wants to put me in the emergency room."
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  • Posted by strugatsky 12 years, 6 months ago
    There is a financial incentive for medical providers and, especially school nurses and "social workers" to create these issues at the slightest pretense, real or not. Some of them truly believe that your child will be better off being raised by the Village and see this as their moral mission. The fact that it pays financially is always a bonus... From the viewpoint of the government, your children's wellbeing is irrelevant; what is relevant is the fact that neighbor spies on neighbor, thus making everyone afraid. When people are afraid, they are easier to rule. Nothing new here; tyrannical regimes have been using this method for centuries. Again, Obama is not being unprecedented.
    Read more at http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts/50...
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  • Posted by cooksunday 12 years, 6 months ago
    what happens if you refuse to answer?
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    • Posted by khalling 12 years, 6 months ago
      all of these answers are inputted into your electronic medical records. Unanswered questions either look like 1. you are not willing to comply-so could be a consideration in future insurance or care 2. the doctor is not doing their job adequately
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      • Posted by $ 12 years, 6 months ago
        I am sure I'm "noncompliant" in my file, due to my stance on vaccines (less than totally compliant). I actually win the arguments, though. I'm sure that gives me special consideration.

        Pol Pot would know just what to do with me...
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  • Posted by CircuitGuy 12 years, 6 months ago
    Can someone explain what PPACA has to do with this? If I give someone money to do a job, how does PPACA make them do it differently? I'm not saying it doesn't, but I don't care why people keep mentioning it. I can't imagine PPACA is going to make my doctor behave differently. We work hard to get those C-notes, and we expect our venders and service providers to do the same. I don't even see where PPACA comes into it.
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    • Posted by khalling 12 years, 6 months ago
      The doctors have new liabilities under ACA. This is one reason they had to get that massively intrusive software program that inputs all this sensitive medical informstion into a database that the govt can access. On an inocuous level the software is set up to remind healthcare professionals. For example ms doe has not had her yearly mammogram. However then the doctor has to show they reminded you. The next time you go in for something unrelated the doctor says you havent scheduled your mamogram. If you refuse
      the doctor may drop you because if a diagnosis comes down the pike later on and it can be shown the preventative wasn 't done. ...
      there are a thousand pages of new rules and procedures doctors have to read and familiarize themselves with to get insurance reimbursements for their practices now.
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      • Posted by CircuitGuy 12 years, 6 months ago
        Does this only affect people who are using insurance? I wouldn't use insurance for a routine test. We only have insurance to protect our wealth against some unlikely series of treatments that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Any time you use "insurance" to pay for routine costs, the insurance company starts getting involved. We knew someone having baby the same time we were. They had one of those high-premium plans that hold your hand and pay for everything. We had a cheap plan and just paid for the pregnancy costs. We had many more options b/c it was between us and the provider with no insurance company butting in. I hope PPACA doesn't start butting into our cash purchases. Almost all our purchases our cash, and once we have enough wealth in self-insure they all will be; we'll just keep minimal insurance as required by law. I don't think PPACA will intercede, but I wouldn't put it past the gov't.
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      Posted by Robbie53024 12 years, 6 months ago
      Perhaps you might read it sometime. Oh, yeah, your a liberal and don't bother reading laws before passing them.
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      • Posted by CircuitGuy 12 years, 6 months ago
        You hardly know me except for my name from my old screenname. Why don't we trade contact info you want to take cheep shots at me so we at least know who we're dealing with?

        I don't buy into the whole liberal/conservative thing anyway, so I'm not either one. I actually had two good conversations in person with my congresswoman and a several conversations with her staff regarding making PPACA less restrictive. The outlawing of HSAs was stricken shortly after I asked her "why are you for tax deductions to send money to corporations but not to your own bank account?"

        This was in my spare time when I'm doing electronics. For me, policy is just an avocation, civic duty, and something to talk about at fundraisers, not a job.

        Still it's possible I did more to limit PPACA than you did.

        This isn't the forum for this. Send me your info, and I will talk on the phone, or if you're in my area a coffee shop, or the next networking event. Otherwise this ad hominem stuff is meaningless.
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  • Posted by gonzo309 12 years, 6 months ago
    We heard about this when Obamacare first passed and someone read the whole thing. We have custody of our grandson but he's only 6 and we won't leave him alone in the room at the doctor's.
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  • Posted by $ 12 years, 6 months ago
    I believe it's AB1209 here in California that recently passed and was signed by the governor. It allows schools to administer medical treatment to children without parental consent or knowledge once a child turns 12.

    The left is so fascinated with children it creeps me out. They are starting to build medical clinics on school grounds now. I know this because some of my engineering work has exposed me to that new market. I'm talking real medical facilities, not just plain commercial construction (there's a difference).
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  • Posted by Timelord 12 years, 6 months ago
    I am flabbergasted that the father would agree to leave his child in the room alone with the doctor. The doctor would have to give me some very good reasons before I would allow it and I can't imagine what those reasons would be.

    As for a dr asking me directly about gun ownership, I would have answered my previous Dr but I don't know my current one well enough. Again, I would ask why he wanted to know and most likely end up telling him it was none of his business.
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  • Posted by ObjectiveAnalyst 12 years, 6 months ago
    Outrageous! Answer: None of your damn business! If the doctor suspects abuse and sees evidence then he may have an obligation to inquire and if necessary report it. Otherwise, the inquiry itself is suspect...
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 12 years, 6 months ago
    They need something to feed their government watchers. And the Government knows, that as a "person of authority", your children have been conditined (by the school indoctrination program) to answer and obey the Doctor Person of Authority so said doc can report it to their Federal handlers.

    And if you still thought somehow you did not live in Orwell's Oceania, it may be time to pull your head out of the sand.

    Likely - the doctor's medical license (and ability to prescribe medications) is dependent on this backdoor attempt at information gathering and pre-confiscation gun location.
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  • Posted by WIGGY 12 years, 6 months ago
    what a sad situation we are experiencing in our country. it is appalling. I would have put it to the doctor what brought this about and who gave him the right to ask such a question. then I would publish his name and the incident all over the community.
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  • Posted by DaveM49 12 years, 6 months ago
    This sounds like a holdover from the era of "repressed memories" and "child abuse rings" that existed only in the minds of social workers and similar entities. The idea still has a fair number of followers. Some years ago, I encountered a psychiatrist whose patients would arrive for a medication refill and, a short time later, emerge from the office in the company of the doctor, who was having them admitted to the hospital as they were spouting all sorts of nonsense. The patients in question invariably appeared dazed, almost as if in a trance. More than one spoke at one time or another of how their family were satanists or some such rubbish (this was in Duluth, Minnesota--I think people would notice large-scale cult activity!)

    After I gave a ride to one of his patients and watched him do this to her. I grabbed her by the shoulder and asked to speak with her and the doctor privately. And I told him exactly what I thought of what he was doing. He launched into some bizarre quasi-Christian material and asked if I was "clean". When that didn't work he began peddling doubletalk by the slice.

    At some point, the patient "woke up". She said she wanted to go home and after some discussion, the doctor agreed. Unfortunately, she eventually went back to him, and as you may guess, never "improved". The doctor moved to Ohio not long after--I doubt that was my doing but I also doubt I was the only person who noticed.

    Mind, all those hospitalizations for "victims of satanists" were undoubtedly great money makers. You might want to see if that pediatrician has some connection to a therapist or social worker who specializes in "sexual abuse". And I'd recommend a different pediatrician.
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