Anyone with kids have their Doctor ask if there are guns in the house yet?

[davemata]

But don't you all know that a gun in the home is like 8 million times more likely to kill a family member than be used against a criminal?

/sarcasm

bull stat is bull.

 

[Evadd]

Well then, in that vein.

How's your wife in the sack?

If that question offends you, you are WAY too sensitive, and sounds like you need someone to pat you on the bum and tell you you're the best doctor ever.

She's actually pretty damn good. Let me know if you want details. I guess I'm really not offended by that.

I see a doctor about HEALTH issues, not SAFETY issues. Boundary violations piss me off.

Because it is MY ****ING BUSINESS NOT YOURS!!! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MEDICAL TREATMENT!!!!!

Pediatrics has intentionally moved from only taking care of diseased to trying to keep children safe. Not sure what to tell you guys other than don't let it piss you off, b/c that's how the field is. If it bothers you so much, simply say "I prefer not to talk about that" and move on.

I understand the intention of the question, I guess. However, and maybe you could answer, as you're in the field. How many parents, when asked, would say "Nope, not locked up, in fact my child is playing traffic right now with my Glock?" Does this question really yield a honest answer in cases where a firearm isn't locked up? Secondly, the only questions I've been asked at two different Pediatrician, in respects to my child's safety is 1) Do we smoke and 2) Are there Guns in the house? Never once was anything ask or documented regarding others, more dangerous and common items such as the items listed by...

Additionally, I'm also confused as to why this "Social History" which I posted a picture of, is on every form, alongside known allergies...

These are honest questions, I'm not trying to give ya shit.

I don't take it badly - you're one of the few to actually ask about it instead of nerd-raging on your keyboard.
If your peds were only asking the 2 questions, I guess they took it to themselves to narrow it down to whichever they felt like.
As to the honesty of answers, I think it depends. I'm sure some people will lie, some will stop and think about it because responsible gun ownership never dawned on them, and some will simply see it for what it is: concern about safety and answer honestly.

sorry dude. it's NOYFB what happens outside of medical treatment. If you want to play social worker, then ask if they're taking drugs, drink too much, have a gate around the pool,....on and on...

I'm spoiled, my doc is a great guy...

Gun safety IMO is the same as pool safety, car safety, etc. I don't know why you guys have such a stick up your ass about it. Tell me WHY you think it's different? Because it's controversial? It's in the news? Because people might look at you funny if you admit to having firearms at home? It sounds like it's your issue to work out.

Wow! So much fail in there I don't know where to begin.


God complex?

Worthless post?

It's a free country, but when folks don't store or care for their guns, IMHO it's not helping the cause.

Agreed.
By the way, I thought your screen name sounded familiar.

I hate this. This issue is not a black-white, lockedup-"laying about" dichotomy.

I was raised in a house where there was a loaded gun present. And it was never locked up. The other guns were unloaded and in a glass gun cabinet. And my brother and I NEVER touched them without permission. Gun-proof your kids people.

You know what else wasn't locked up? The kitchen knives, the glassware, the pool, the biting bunny, baseball bats, etc. You cannot lock everything up, and a determined kid can probably get through your security anyway.

You cannot possibly know what constitutes safe storage unless you have seen the house and know the habits and behavior of the people who come through there routinely. If I had an ill-mannered 6 year old nephew in my house all the time, then yes, the guns would be locked up when he was around (assuming we continued to allow visits, which is wildly unlikely). With two adults and any visiting children being delightful people under their parents' supervision and capable of outshooting half the adults I know?? HA!

+ a million

How many stories have we seen in the past couple of years about kids defending themselves from an intruder meaning them harm, by using the 'family' gun or their parents gun left loaded and available to them. Mom and Dad taught them about guns, trained them and trusted them.

To me, if you've taken the time to educate your kids about guns, that is responsible ownership. These last couple statements make sense, and I agree with you both.

 

[Palladin]

Quote Originally Posted by Palladin View Post
sorry dude. it's NOYFB what happens outside of medical treatment. If you want to play social worker, then ask if they're taking drugs, drink too much, have a gate around the pool,....on and on...

I'm spoiled, my doc is a great guy...

Gun safety IMO is the same as pool safety, car safety, etc. I don't know why you guys have such a stick up your ass about it. Tell me WHY you think it's different? Because it's controversial? It's in the news? Because people might look at you funny if you admit to having firearms at home? It sounds like it's your issue to work out.

Because you don't ask about other things, which, on a daily basis, are far more dangerous to children !! You don't ask about kitchen cabinet locks, if they have a pool, if they use car seats, if the stairs have a gate...on and on and on!!!
The AMA has decided to launch an edict against lawful gun owners by asking these questions and recording the answers in the child's file!!
If you're not going to ask about the other 1000 things which can hurt a child, don't ask about the guns!! You should post a warning that doctors inadvertently kill more people each year than gun owners!!

Doctors vs Guns – which are more deadly?
Doctors:
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) “Accidental deaths” caused by Physicians per year: 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.
Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Guns:
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000 (Yes, that’s 80 million).
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, Is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .000188.
Statistics courtesy of FBI
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Remember, ‘Guns don’t kill people, doctors do.’
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR.

 

[Evadd]

Because you don't ask about other things, which, on a daily basis, are far more dangerous to children !! You don't ask about kitchen cabinet locks, if they have a pool, if they use car seats, if the stairs have a gate...on and on and on!!!
The AMA has decided to launch an edict against lawful gun owners by asking these questions and recording the answers in the child's file!!
If you're not going to ask about the other 1000 things which can hurt a child, don't ask about the guns!! You should post a warning that doctors inadvertently kill more people each year than gun owners!!

But, they do (or at least, they are supposed to). As I said in one of my posts, the gun safety Q is just one of many to be asked, including safety locks, seat belts, car seats, pool fences, etc etc. I don't practice general pediatrics any more, so I personally don't ask ANY of those anymore, but in general, pediatricians are supposed to be asking all of those safety questions. If you have a pediatrician who is ONLY asking about gun safety, then I absolutely agree with you that he/she has a personal agenda and not only do I see that as wrong, but they're neglecting the rest of their responsibilities.

I'm curious about the #'s you posted. There are currently roughly 238,000,000 adults in the US. 81,000,000 gun owners = more than 1 out of every 4 adults in the US, including women, owns a gun? That'd be very surprising, if true.

 

[SpaceCritter]

Gun safety IMO is the same as pool safety, car safety, etc. I don't know why you guys have such a stick up your ass about it. Tell me WHY you think it's different? Because it's controversial? It's in the news? Because people might look at you funny if you admit to having firearms at home? It sounds like it's your issue to work out.

As I made it abundantly clear in my post above (#164), I do not discuss non-medical matters with the family physician, any more than I discuss off-topic subjects with any other employee, contractor, or other hireling. Others may. I do not. Nor, in today's climate, do I advise it.

 

[Billsail]

Any answer to the question, other than "no", even a non-answer, will be taken as an affirmative response, when reviewed by Obamacare officials. Your name will be in column A, not column B.

 

[SpaceCritter]

Any answer to the question, other than "no", even a non-answer, will be taken as an affirmative response, when reviewed by Obamacare officials. Your name will be in column A, not column B.

And that is why I prefer not to deal with ANY "medical professional" unless I'm on death's door.

 

[Palladin]

I'm curious about the #'s you posted. There are currently roughly 238,000,000 adults in the US. 81,000,000 gun owners = more than 1 out of every 4 adults in the US, including women, owns a gun? That'd be very surprising, if true.

NRA-ILA | 2013 NRA-ILA Firearms Fact Card

General Information

Privately owned firearms in the U.S.: Approaching 300 million, including nearly 100 million handguns. The number of firearms rises 10 million annually.
Gun owners in the U.S.: 70-80 million; 40-45 million own handguns
American households that have firearms: 40-45%
Hunting licenses sold annually: 14.5 million
NRA State Associations and Local Clubs: 12,000
NRA Target Shooting Tournaments annually: 11,000
NRA Certified Instructors: 93,000
Number of Individuals Attending an NRA Firearm Course Annually: Over 800,000
NRA Law Enforcement Firearm Instructors: 12,000


More:
http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp

 

[usp45ct]

If my son where asked if he know where the guns are in the house, he would answer in the safe, except for the one my dad is carrying now.

 

[Orion2k]

My doctor asked me and I held up one finger......(no,not that finger)...then I looked at my crotch and said one.....if you meant to say weapons then the answer is no. He smiled at me and i saw him write no on his paperwork.

 

[ASHDUMP]

I went for a physical a couple months ago and my doctor asked me if I had guns in the house. I told him I am declining to answer that question. He then told me that this question was NRA approved. Anyone know if the NRA gave doctors the thumbs up to ask this question?

 

[theGringo]

I went for a physical a couple months ago and my doctor asked me if I had guns in the house. I told him I am declining to answer that question. He then told me that this question was NRA approved. Anyone know if the NRA gave doctors the thumbs up to ask this question?

You should have said, "And here's a second opinion!" and punched him in the throat.

 

[Palladin]

You should have said, "And here's a second opinion!" and punched him in the throat.

 

[JRBMA]

My 9 year old son just had his annual physical and was asked about firearms in the house by the doctor in front of me. He replied that there are several firearms in my dad's safe and more in the safe in his bedroom and the one that he usually has inside of his belt. I thought the doc was going to choke on his next breath. I explained that I have an LTC and that all of my firearms are secured under lock and key and that all 3 of my children have been trained at the range in safe handling and storage. I am sure that I could have told him to say no in advance, but part of me was glad to see his doc squirm in his chair and continue to look at my hip for the rest of the appointment...

 

[Billsail]

The point is NOT that the doctors, or the medical community have this info. I mean really, what can they do with it, except lecture you on gun safety. If they're qualified??. Look at the big picture kids! That info will follow you forever and ever. You have no control over who has access, HIPAA not withstanding, now that .gov is running the show.

 

[SpaceCritter]

The point is NOT that the doctors, or the medical community have this info. I mean really, what can they do with it, except lecture you on gun safety. If they're qualified??. Look at the big picture kids! That info will follow you forever and ever. You have no control over who has access, HIPAA not withstanding, now that .gov is running the show.

Get Zen - "mu: I unask your question."

 

[Nicole]

I'm curious about the #'s you posted. There are currently roughly 238,000,000 adults in the US. 81,000,000 gun owners = more than 1 out of every 4 adults in the US, including women, owns a gun? That'd be very surprising, if true.

Not really, not if you have been out in the country, away from the coastal liberal enclaves. Tonight we were at the chiropractor's office. There were 6 of us present. In casual conversation, it was established that 4 of us owned guns. 2 people didn't volunteer info either way. And this was in a middle class southern NH town, not out in the sticks.

When I visit family in Virginia and Pennsylvania, there are gatherings where you would be hard pressed to find attendees who live in gunless homes.

 

[davemata]

Gun safety IMO is the same as pool safety, car safety, etc. I don't know why you guys have such a stick up your ass about it.

Obviously.

It's none of your business. It's not a medical question. What part of "do you have a gun at home" will help cure an ear infection?

ETA - Pragmatically speaking, you (in general your industry) are a service provider. I do not pay for anything other than you to conduct your direct business, which is to heal me. Questions without direct medical relevance to the subject I am seeing you about is outside of the sphere of what your business is. You are simply a service provider to be engaged as needed or desired.

 

[Double Tap]

But, they do (or at least, they are supposed to). As I said in one of my posts, the gun safety Q is just one of many to be asked, including safety locks, seat belts, car seats, pool fences, etc etc. I don't practice general pediatrics any more, so I personally don't ask ANY of those anymore, but in general, pediatricians are supposed to be asking all of those safety questions.

BS...backpedal.

 

[Evadd]

.

BS...backpedal.

That's your 2nd useless post. Read mine again, and you'll see there's no back pedaling. I mentioned other safety Q's way before that post.

 

[Evadd]

Obviously.

It's none of your business. It's not a medical question. What part of "do you have a gun at home" will help cure an ear infection?

ETA - Pragmatically speaking, you (in general your industry) are a service provider. I do not pay for anything other than you to conduct your direct business, which is to heal me. Questions without direct medical relevance to the subject I am seeing you about is outside of the sphere of what your business is. You are simply a service provider to be engaged as needed or desired.

If you come in for an ear infection, general safety shouldn't be a part of the visit at all. And believe me, I sure as hell didn't waste my time on off-topic stuff.

You can be angry about it all you want, but I suggest you simply come to terms with the fact that pediatrics is about more than fixing infections. If your kid's doctor bothers you for asking about safety, you're free to find one whose beliefs are inline with your own.

 

[Evadd]

Anyway, thanks to those who PMd and those who kept it to a discussion. Not pointing fingers - I threw out phrases I shouldn't have and should have been more calm about it.

 

[theGringo]

If you come in for an ear infection, general safety shouldn't be a part of the visit at all. And believe me, I sure as hell didn't waste my time on off-topic stuff.

You can be angry about it all you want, but I suggest you simply come to terms with the fact that pediatrics is about more than fixing infections. If your kid's doctor bothers you for asking about safety, you're free to find one whose beliefs are inline with your own.

And there is the problem. Pediatricians failing to understand their limits, their boundaries. Hard to find a new doc when the whole field has been infected by the political agenda of the left-leaning AAP. Next to "Family Medicine", pediatrics is as left of center as it gets. Who do you think you are? The education establishment?

**** you, if you think it's your business to ask about guns. And this is exactly what you people do. And under the tightening strictures of Obamacare, more and more of this shit will get passed up through the pipeline.

It's not tin-foil paranoia, it's fact. Consider the recent scandal in Missouri, where the state DOR has been caught illegally passing gun data to the DHS, and others. Missouri Government caught sending Private Data on Gun Owners to Department of Homeland Security

Pediatricians who ask about gun ownership, and who record that data, are tools. Before you seek another doc, you may want to make sure that your current doc is rendered incapable of asking that question again. It's time. Enough is enough.

 

[dcmdon]

I am a PICU doc and did general pediatrics before that. As part of residency, we were taught to ask that question, and it makes sense. It's not out of arrogance, or "empowering children" (the office that said that clearly has their heads up their asses). It's about safety, plain and simple. The follow-up question is "are they locked up"? If the answer is yes, end of story, all good. If you reply with a polite "I'd prefer not to talk about it", that would be fine in my book, too. If they're laying around for kids to get ahold of, expect the conversation to last a bit longer. But if you you want to tell me "it's none of your damn business" and puff up your chest? Ok by me - help yourself to the door and don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out.


Every year WAY too many kids get hurt or killed playing with daddy or mommy's guns. I've seen it firsthand. The first time you see a child come in braindead from being accidentally shot by his younger brother you'll eat your words about getting all "offended" by the question. I couldn't care less if you're offended if it means that it'll help an irresponsible gun owner keep their children safe. Don't like it? I don't care.

When I bring my son to his own pediatrician, if they ask, I'll either say "no" or "yes, and they're locked up or on me" and be done with it. Why so many panties in a bunch over trying to keep children safe?? There are a lot of irresponsible people out there that need a reminder about their kids. That's it.

Evad,

I'm not going to slam or mock you, like I'm sure others will. But I have a couple of points/questions.

First. The number of children killed accidentally is very very low. On the order of 60/yr. And that is stretching the definition of child all the way up to 14.

Second. Approximately 600 kids die in accidental drownings in privately owned pools every year. (same age range) So if it were really about saving lives, wouldn't they be teaching residents to ask about swimming pools? I have never EVER heard of anyone being asked about swimming pools.

One other quesiton. Do most Drs. realize what a small number of kids die in accidental shootings? While every death is a tragedy, from a public health perspective this is an inconsequential number.

I'd greatly appreciate a reasoned response/defense of your position.

Don

 

[falcon123]

I wasn't going to revive the thread, but, last week, we got packet in the mail from our current Pediatrician. Apparently, the previous Pediatrician's office sent over copies of all the previous records to the current and the current sent us copies as well. No big deal, right? Well, I went through all of the Dr notes and forms and to my surprise, almost ALL of the forms (besides birth record forms) notes have a section that start with...

Smoking: No Guns: Yes, locked. etc, etc (my wife apparently answered the question early on...)

It appears to be a standardized part of all the forms now, not sure why, but every form has this information on it. I won't start folding my tinhat but I find it peculiar that on notes from a phone from a call we made to the Pediatrician, reporting that our son has a 102 temp is prefaced by GUNS: Yes, locked. I guess I'm just getting paranoid.

I answer NO to that question.

 

[30Mauser]

I answer NO to that question.

Haven't been asked yet, but I pledge to answer MYOFB. Actually rather looking forward to it!

ETA: Evadd, I appreciate your personal intentions surrounding a belief in the possibility that asking this question might prevent an accident. I am of the opinion that the scant chance of that being true (and your subsequent advice being effectively heeded) is far outweighed by my distrust of the intentions of those who may gain access to the information down the line.

 

[falcon123]

I am a PICU doc and did general pediatrics before that. As part of residency, we were taught to ask that question, and it makes sense. It's not out of arrogance, or "empowering children" (the office that said that clearly has their heads up their asses). It's about safety, plain and simple. The follow-up question is "are they locked up"? If the answer is yes, end of story, all good. If you reply with a polite "I'd prefer not to talk about it", that would be fine in my book, too. If they're laying around for kids to get ahold of, expect the conversation to last a bit longer. But if you you want to tell me "it's none of your damn business" and puff up your chest? Ok by me - help yourself to the door and don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out.


Every year WAY too many kids get hurt or killed playing with daddy or mommy's guns. I've seen it firsthand. The first time you see a child come in braindead from being accidentally shot by his younger brother you'll eat your words about getting all "offended" by the question. I couldn't care less if you're offended if it means that it'll help an irresponsible gun owner keep their children safe. Don't like it? I don't care.

When I bring my son to his own pediatrician, if they ask, I'll either say "no" or "yes, and they're locked up or on me" and be done with it. Why so many panties in a bunch over trying to keep children safe?? There are a lot of irresponsible people out there that need a reminder about their kids. That's it.

Do you ask your patients if they have buckets at home? Many children drown or get injured every year in buckets than are injured by guns. How about pools? Same there. Pools are more of an attractive nuisance and dangerous than guns. Household chemicals, knives, matches etc. Sounds more like an anal exam from Nanny Bloomberg. Misplaced priorities and govt meddling.

 

[falcon123]

I KNEW there would be some sarcastic poster to pick out the "for the children" line. As I said, it's not about arrogance or thinking I'm better than anyone.

Like Garandman said (and I don't know which way he lies on the subject from his post, but he brought up very good points): it's one of a BUNCH of questions that should be asked, along with "is there a swimming pool? If so, is it fenced in?" "Does your infant sit in a car seat in the back seat facing the rear?" "Are there guns in the home? If so, are they locked up?" And that's really the way the question should be phrased, not "Do you own guns?". It's not about pointing fingers.

Prebanman, if you're a responsible gun owner, good on you. But there are many people who aren't, and if you think that because you live in your own little world that the rest of us will just assume everyone is safe, you're off your rocker.

If that question offends you, you are WAY too sensitive, and sounds like you need someone to pat you on the bum and tell you you're the best daddy ever. With all your whining, you're sounding a lot like the liberals I'm pretty sure you make fun of.

They're intrusive and useless questions. First off they assume that people are stupid. Some are but you cannot cure or prevent stupid. Second, many people lie when asked certain questions by an "authority figure" like "do you wear a seatbelt?" or "do you drink?" So the information is useless.

 

[Hush]

Unless you're under oath, or signing under the penalty of perjury, you have the freedom to answer any way you like. Go ahead and say no, it keeps things simple, and there are no consequences.

 

[KenK]

Hell my grandchildren have guns in their house too!!!
All the more reason to stay away from Doctors..
They forget to ask the real questions..like why are you in here today and how can I help YOU!!!!