# Doctor-patient confidentiality not sacred says PennDot and five other states **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 30, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903 "2004-09-30T19:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903/21 "2004-10-01T04:17:03Z")
Yeah, but those disclosures are about abuse/neglect/domestic violence, not suspicions of drinking and driving. Apparently 6 states have decided it does include that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903/22 "2004-10-01T04:34:48Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > …instead it assures that a major hazard is mitigated. So would banning the use of cell phones while driving. Studies show that drivers are 4 to 5 times more likely to have an accident if they’re using a cell while behind the wheel. Yet I don’t see you clamoring for them to be banned as well. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903/23 "2004-10-01T07:05:49Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > So would banning the use of cell phones while driving. Studies show that drivers are 4 to 5 times more likely to have an accident if they’re using a cell while behind the wheel. Yet I don’t see you clamoring for them to be banned as well. Wanna bet? I say that unless there is an earpiece or a hands-free way to use a cell phone they should be banned too. How’s that treat you? ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903/24 "2004-10-01T10:32:49Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > Does mandatory reporting stop people from being honest about seizures or narcoleptic episodes? Does it stop people from reporting seizures to their doctors? Not that I’ve ever heard about, no. (A lot of people don’t like to admit to themselves or their doctors that they had a seizure because of lingering misconceptions about epilepsy, but that’s a whole other topic.) Do people lie to the DMV about having seizures? You bet your ass. The hoops you have to jump through if you admit to them that you’ve had any sort of seizure or blackout in the last five years are fairly ridiculous, and you have to do that rigamarole every friggin’ year for up to five years. I can certainly understand the temptation to lie about it, given the consequences of being truthful. I’m not sure that there are mandatory reporting laws about seizures in all states, to be honest. Well, probably for that initial period where it’s flat-out illegal to drive after one. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903/25 "2004-10-01T10:46:16Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > Wanna bet? I say that unless there is an earpiece or a hands-free way to use a cell phone they should be banned too. > > How’s that treat you? Not good enough - I don’t think “hands-free” solves the problem. The problem that talking to someone who isn’t there is _distracting_. Now, if everyone in the world was a responsible adult with good judgement, who would just let the damn phone ring while on the freeway or when kids are playing in the street or it’s icy and slick out and only use the phone when it _wouldn’t_ be a hazard I’d be all for “let 'em choose” and the use of handsets. But that’s not reality. In a traffic jam and not moving? Yeah - it’s safe to use your cellphone for a BRIEF call to tell someone you’re delayed, “hands-free” or not. But in general, if you’re moving I’d prefer you not be talking. Then again, I’m the sort who _never_ gets behind the wheel after drinking. If I drink I don’t drive. If I drive I don’t even _start_ drinking. So I have some pretty intense feelings on this. Yeah, sure, there’s an amount of alcohol you can consume without causing serious impairment, but it’s a lot lower than most folks suspect. In my case, being on the small side, that amount is even lower than for the brawny six foot tall 250 lbs guys on the road. And finally - you know, we _don’t_ know the whole story here, just what’s in the news. We don’t _really_ know what this guy’s health problem is. And, for all any of us know, the doctor might have picked up on something that lead him to believe this guy’s alcohol consumption was greater than he admitted, or he was using something besides alcohol. We just don’t know the whole story. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903/26 "2004-10-01T15:21:13Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > How’s that treat you? That’s great, actually. I’m with you 100% there. Do you have a cell phone? I bet you do. You say you don’t use it while driving, and maybe you don’t. But if you do, you are much more likely to have an accident, so we shouldn’t take any chances with public safety. We’re going to install a device in your car that will turn off your engine if it detects a cell phone being used inside the car while it’s moving. But, _you_ have to pay for this device. You behind _that_? Well, that’s essentially what’s going on here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-patient-confidentiality-not-sacred-says-penndot-and-five-other-states/266903.md?page=1)