# Are Doctors still asking odd (to me) questions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133 "2021-02-17T15:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/41 "2021-02-17T21:32:04Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The first was “do you have guns in your house” or something similar. I answered, “that’s none of your business”. Then it was “do you feel safe in your home?”. I lost it. I was there wanting to find out if my foot pain was caused by gout, which was what my googling had come up with. “The reason I’m asking is because of this fresh bullet wound in your left foot.” “And I told you I’m here about the gout in my _right_ foot.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/42 "2021-02-17T21:38:06Z")
I loved my doc. We used to call him Marcus Welby, because you could just picture him walking to house calls with his little black bag. But he retired (though ten years younger than I am), and now I’ve got some Gen-Z skateboarding punk (probably has piercings I can’t see, and tats from bands I’ve never heard of). Honestly, he’s probably in his thirties… like my kids. Sigh… Oh, and I’ve never gotten any gun questions (though I hope I wouldn’t get emotional about it). I’d probably give an answer involving the number of gatling guns mounted on my castle’s ramparts… I do have to remember not everyone enjoys sarcasm. I did get asked “Have you ever wanted to hurt yourself?” It took _all_ my self-control not to answer “Oh, don’t worry, I’ve got a suicide all planned that’ll be completely painless.” ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/43 "2021-02-17T22:00:33Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > Perhaps I should have used a different example. The top 3 causes of accidental death are [poisoning, motor vehicles, and falls](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm). Guns don’t even make the list. Doctors don’t ask about any of those (infant carseats when leaving hospital being a notable exception). My understanding is that the question is not meant to screen for homicide, it’s to discuss primarily storage (follow-up questions: “where are the guns kept? Are they locked up?”). Firearm related injury is the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents. [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsr1804754](https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsr1804754) Right behind motor vehicle crashes, and not quite twice the rate of cancer deaths. There are really good reasons to be concerned about kids + guns. ETA: And most should be preventable. For the record, I can’t remember if I’ve ever been asked by my doctor, but I’ve been asked as part of an insurance-related health assessment whether I always, sometimes, or never wear my seatbelt. I’ve been asked by their doctor if my kids wear bike helmets. Another question that’s been added in the past decade or so is whether you are in pain. Even if your appointment has nothing to do with being in pain. There is research about what good can be done by asking these things when you have the face-to-face contact with a (hopefully) relatively trusted professional. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/44 "2021-02-17T22:07:59Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > And the gun question is too political. Thinking that guns are only political is like thinking that systemic racism is only political. Their presence in our country kills, maims, injures, and traumatizes tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people annually. They are a scourge upon society. Working to mitigate their evils at the lowest, most personal levels is one of the best and cheapest ways to improve peoples’ lives. Being upset that a three-second question that could save lives is asked as part of a set list. Do you also object that the same COVID questions are asked everywhere you go, a longer list? What a bizarre hill to die on. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/45 "2021-02-17T22:09:59Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > Even including homicide and suicide it looks like accidental poisoning and falls has gun deaths beat. Your’e right, but that doesn’t help the OP’s argument. Accidental poisonings include all unintentional drug-related deaths, both street and Rx. _That’s why doctors ask patients about street drug use and Rx medications_. Falls are the #1 cause of death in the elderly, which is the main reason they’re so high on the list of accidental deaths and is also _why doctors ask elderly patients about balance and other relevant issues._ I am not anti-gun by any means. But to argue that doctors shouldn’t ask patients questions related to gun safety because annually “only” 40,000 people in the US die and “only” 84,000 sustain nonfatal injuries from guns is illogical. And to get irritated that doctors _ask_ about guns, as some people do, is even more irrational. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/46 "2021-02-17T22:34:06Z")
Gun stores sell gun locks and gun safes. My doctor hands me a prescription for 50 hydros and doesn’t hand out a pamphlet on prescription drug abuse, doesn’t offer safe prescription drug disposal, and has never asked about me locking up my drugs from my kids. It doesn’t take a gun nut to notice that’s a little weird. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/47 "2021-02-17T22:45:09Z")
These are unusual questions to ask. Every once in a while, doctors are criticized for not asking basic questions about seat belts or car seats - and I can only guess the doctor must have just read something along those lines. While it is true that fluoride in toothpaste or locked cabinets are probably good things, you sometimes need to focus more on relevant ones. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/48 "2021-02-17T23:22:32Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > has never asked about me locking up my drugs from my kids. Seems like it could be a good idea. If it started happening, I would not be upset by it. It doesn’t suggest to me that they should stop asking questions relevant to the second leading cause of death for kids and adolescents. (Drug overdose or poisoning is 6th, by the way.) ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/49 "2021-02-17T23:23:16Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > A doctor who has remained up to date in her field is the most likely to ask these more holistic questions. Not necessarily. The family practice I’ve been going to (which I no longer care for because they’ve been getting more and more “corporate”) asks these kinds of questions as sort of care script. They have what I call a “health care by numbers” approach, which I don’t like. For example, they have a practice policy that all adult female patients get annual mammograms. I’m not saying mammograms are bad. I’m saying that they should be prescribed for each patient based on medical risk factors, history, etc. and not just that “my boss told me to”. Some women need them annually, some every three years. But they’ve taken all decision-making away from the doctor/patient team. They could sell a health care app in the Google Play store and offer the same level of care. The questions in the OP that my practice asks includes those as well as “do you use the seat belt in your car” and other basic safety questions. I know they’re well-meaning but I still find them insulting. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/50 "2021-02-17T23:36:42Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > For someone who _doesn’t_ feel safe, for whatever reason … the person making them feel unsafe is, sadly, likely to be accompanying them. The few minutes of confidentiality behind the closed door of a Dr. visit are likely the only chance an abuse victim or a trafficking victim may have to alert someone, anyone. This is it, exactly. It can be very difficult to get a controlled person away from their abuser. A doctor’s office is one place where, not only can they get an answer but they can also provide help. It’s not about you, unless you need to to be about you. Just answer the question and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/51 "2021-02-17T23:51:21Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Are they still doing this? They are supposed to. And trust me, if you decline to answer, no one is going to look at you twice. They just need to check the box that they asked. It may be annoying, but it is an opportunity for those who don’t feel safe to ask for help. You can just decline to answer. Just please don’t be a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/52 "2021-02-17T23:53:35Z")
Oh yes the 50 questions about home life and keeping my kid safe every single well child visit they’d ask me or my kid the seatbelt questions, is there smoking in the home, do you have a regular bedtime, do you do chores(wtf?) then they want an urine sample from the child because well we’re screening for diabetes. We complied once, next time they asked I put my foot down said NO. The kid is slender, not chubby or even a teensy bit plump, skinny really and without any symptoms or concerns from me but they just want to check. BS! ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/53 "2021-02-18T00:01:50Z")
> [@chela](#): > > We complied once, next time they asked I put my foot down said NO. The kid is slender, not chubby or even a teensy bit plump, skinny really and without any symptoms or concerns from me but they just want to check. BS! Do you think only overweight kids can have diabetes? Or, could being skinny even be a symptom? Do you suppose maybe medical professionals developed a standard of screening for something that could otherwise go undetected? ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/54 "2021-02-18T00:05:11Z")
It’s what the nurse told me, they’re were screening for diabetes. It was when they were around 9/10 years of age. Never had it come up before in their annual physical. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/55 "2021-02-18T00:07:41Z")
Yes. I was asking you about your knowledge of diabetes and its symptoms and indicators, vs the knowledge of the people who wanted to screen your child for it. Specifically, I was curious if you think only overweight kids can have diabetes. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/56 "2021-02-18T00:13:38Z")
Like I said, there were no symptoms like frequent urination, fatigue, excessive thirst, blurred vision. When the kids were older and went for sports physicals they didn’t ask for a urine samples. At my physicals my docs never do a urine test without cause. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/57 "2021-02-18T00:19:17Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > Specifically, I was curious if you think only overweight kids can have diabetes. No, that would be false to say kids who have diabetes are always overweight. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/58 "2021-02-18T00:19:23Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I did get asked “Have you ever wanted to hurt yourself?” It took _all_ my self-control not to answer “Oh, don’t worry, I’ve got a suicide all planned that’ll be completely painless.” That’s not even remotely funny. Some people say that _in all seriousness_ but you think having a viable suicide plan is a joke. I can’t say anything more about this thread in its entirety, unless it gets moved to the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/59 "2021-02-18T01:56:51Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > The family practice I’ve been going to (which I no longer care for because they’ve been getting more and more “corporate”) asks these kinds of questions as sort of care script. They have what I call a “health care by numbers” approach, which I don’t like I’m sure there are situations where your take on it is the correct one. Nonetheless, I think that asking broader questions is a sign of advancement in medical practice. I find it hard to believe that physicians in, say, 1968, made a habit of asking patients about any vulnerabilities or abuse. The fact that it is done now is a sign of progress - to me, anyway. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133/60 "2021-02-18T03:01:18Z")
The guy who just retired was a friend. An asshole at times but a friend. He gave me open scripts I used to order my meds from Canadia (I’m a cheap fück). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-doctors-still-asking-odd-to-me-questions/933133.md?page=4)