The mind boggles

[Berkut]

I'm just telling you how it is. In a world of ever increasing medical costs, preventative medicine is now a big deal.

Gun ownership isn't medicine, preventative or otherwise. I'm with those who say it's none of the doctor's business. Not sure it needs a law though.

Not only am I quite sure it doesn't need a law, I would even question the Constitutionality of said law.

[DontSayBanana]

Gun ownership isn't medicine, preventative or otherwise. I'm with those who say it's none of the doctor's business. Not sure it needs a law though.

Neither are pool ownership or babygates put in bad positions.  What they all are is potential vectors for injury or death to young children, so yeah- the pediatrician could use the info.  If it were an oncologist, sure, I'd say tell 'em to take a hike.

And Mono, that view of healthcare is just retarded.  Self-diagnosis is generally no good.  You get an infection from a cut finger and need antibiotics, then no, odds are you don't need a doctor to tell you what's wrong with that.  But there are so many subtle problems that you can't pick up on your own, like sepsis (blood infection).  By the time you see obvious symptoms of sepsis, you're screwed and should probably just be picking out your coffin.

[Berkut]

Lets make one thing clear - this law has nothing to do with whether or not these questions are the doctors business or not. Note that it does not tell doctors they cannot ask question that are not medically pertinent, it only restricts them from asking very specific questions about guns.

This is about some fucking nutjobs idiocy in believeing that the government wants to get their guns and is going to use the healthcare system to do it.

[The Minsky Moment]

Now that the Second Amendment has been saved, it is armed and dangerous and looking to take out the other amendments.  Starting with the first . . .

[dps]

I'll be very surprised if a pediatrician treats fewer than 100 cases a day.  The real number is probably a lot higher.  No wonder your medical costs go up, when your doctors waste precious time to cover household safety, of all things.  If I were a parent, I'll welcome that as very useful and practical advice.  I just never expect it to come from a doctor. 

I'd be rather surprised if a typical American pediatricain in private practice treats more than a couple dozen patients in a day, though I'm just guessing.

[Slargos]

I dunno. In my mind a Doctor is a mechanic, not a teacher. If you've gone through high school you should know that guns should be treated with care, and that it's not good to go swimming if you're wearing your platemail. Should he refuse care because they drive a car without ABS?

[grumbler]

I dunno. In my mind a Doctor is a mechanic, not a teacher. If you've gone through high school you should know that guns should be treated with care, and that it's not good to go swimming if you're wearing your platemail. Should he refuse care because they drive a car without ABS?

Don't mix your red herrings, please.

[Slargos]

I dunno. In my mind a Doctor is a mechanic, not a teacher. If you've gone through high school you should know that guns should be treated with care, and that it's not good to go swimming if you're wearing your platemail. Should he refuse care because they drive a car without ABS?

Don't mix your red herrings, please.

A penny in the bucket is worth a whole haystack. 

[Maximus]

Neither are pool ownership or babygates put in bad positions.  What they all are is potential vectors for injury or death to young children, so yeah- the pediatrician could use the info.  If it were an oncologist, sure, I'd say tell 'em to take a hike.

Those are none of his business either unless he can provide an inoculation against drowning or falling.

[Berkut]

Neither are pool ownership or babygates put in bad positions.  What they all are is potential vectors for injury or death to young children, so yeah- the pediatrician could use the info.  If it were an oncologist, sure, I'd say tell 'em to take a hike.

Those are none of his business either unless he can provide an inoculation against drowning or falling.

Why do people keep going on about what is and is not his business?

Surely that is a determination for the doctor and his patients to make, isn't it?

I would *welcome* such questions from my pediatrician, and in fact our doctor is perfectly willing to talk to us about all kinds of things. She sure as hell does not sit around worrying about what the State will or will not allow her to talk about. But even that isn't really relevant - what *I* think is appropriate or not has no bearing on the what ought to be legislated either.

What is scary about stuff like this is that the state is actually sticking its nose into the doctor-patient relationship. The basic idea that doctors should have to worry about what they talk about with a patient because if they ask the wrong thing, they could lose their license should be rather obviously a terrible fucking idea. The repercussions are ridiculous.

Does this mean doctors will now have to make sure they have a witness for every interaction with their patients, to protect them from a charge that they asked something they are not allowed to ask? What will that do to doctor-patient confidentiality, trust and relationships?

There are so many obviously bad second order consequences to legislation like this. How can something like this actually get passed, anywhere???

[Maximus]

I've already conceded that the law is unnecessary. I've gone on to talking about what an ass the doctor is. Just a different conversation, that's all.

[Scipio]

Now that the Second Amendment has been saved, it is armed and dangerous and looking to take out the other amendments.  Starting with the first . . .

QFT.

Although, the Supreme Court has agreed that lawyers cannot advise certain clients engaged in criminal activities how to stop engaging in criminal activities.  This is likely the next step.

[Berkut]

Now that the Second Amendment has been saved, it is armed and dangerous and looking to take out the other amendments.  Starting with the first . . .

No shit.

[Valmy]

Now that the Second Amendment has been saved, it is armed and dangerous and looking to take out the other amendments.  Starting with the first . . .

I was about to say...it is a crime to ask people a question?

[MadBurgerMaker]

Pediatricians are trained—indeed, they are explicitly advised by the American Academy of Pediatrics—to inquire about the presence of open containers of bleach, swimming pools, balloons, and toilet locks in the homes of their patients.

Wouldn't want your kid to drown himself while trying to drink out of the toilet.