So I was going to a new dentist today to get my teeth cleaned.
Since I was new to the dental practice, I had to fill out the medical forms that give my information. It was not a generic form that could be used by any medical practice it was customized for their dental practice.
Of course they had the usual stuff (Name, SSN, address). But there were some other fields that seemed to me of particular interest:
It had a field for me to input my age…right beside the field for my Date of Birth. Aren’t these usually related?
Driver’s license number. Why? What if I didn’t have one? Am I expected to need to drive myself to the emergency room if you botch my teeth cleaning badly enough?
My occupation. Note this is not the section where you fill out your employer information, that is a different section. Why does my occupation need to be on my records? Maybe I am a daredevil in the circus and do many tricks by hanging by my teeth? Maybe I am a NHL player? Will my treatment change based upon my answer?
An extensive section for spousal information. Note that this is not to be confused with the emergency contact section or the section where you fill out the details of the person who is the primary account for insurance. Those are different sections. Apparently they needed to know my spouses SSN, her employer, her birthday (but not age!) and of course, her driver’s license number.
In the allergy section they have a bunch of possible allergies and you are to circle yes or no next to each one. One of the lines was just “metals.” They do not ask which ones or list any details, just “metals.” Note this is not to be confused with a separate line that lists “jewelry.” Now, I realize that metals allergies could be of concern, but maybe a better way to get that information would be “Please write down any metals that you are allergic to.”
Have you seen any interesting information that your medical provider is just dying to know?
billing collections (I leave it blank or write in NA)
just general occupational hazard stuff - maybe you’re a food taster, I dunno.
again, billing/collections - I skip this too.
anything general you put here, they will ask about for more detail I’m sure. Probably more of a CYA thing for them than anything. If you have a reaction and it’s blank, they can be held harmless.
I also never give them my SSN. Only IRS/financial orgs need that.
I was given a form with a very thorough ancestry/ethnic background questionnaire (at least compared to most such forms in the US). I marked that I was German, but the doctor didn’t ask me whether I wanted help with my sense of humor or whether I felt that I had above-average engineering skills. I also marked Irish, but then wasn’t asked about my drinking habits, whether I needed help getting my sister out of a convent, or how frequently I felt tempted to car-bomb rival churches in my neighborhood.
If anybody asks me for my driver’s license (I don’t drive and don’t have a license) I just hand over my Alberta issued non-drivers license id. Never had a problem. It’s as secure as a drivers license. Do you have anything similar in your neck of the woods?
Yes, US states have non-driver’s ID cards that look remarkably like a driver’s licence and are legal ID. The ID numbers are the same format and length as a driver’s license number, at least all those I’ve seen (about a dozen states’ worth). More enlightened forms ask for “Driver’s license or state ID number” but in reality where you’re asked for a driver’s license number the state ID number works just as well (unless you get some really rock-stupid person/business/whatever. Or the form/question has to do with actual driving.)
Driving was so ubiquitous in my generation that a lot of folks don’t even realize such ID’s exist. However, the current crop of young people don’t seem as eager to drive so I’m starting to see more of them.
I suppose there is, I have never met anyone with one. But according to people that oppose voter-Id laws, there are tons of people that don’t have government IDs.
Not that it really matters. I didn’t put my driver’s license information in there anyway and they didn’t protest. Which is even more confusing. If they don’t need it, why ask?
I objected when the forms at my orthopedic doctor wanted you to list how many sexual partners and/or how often you’ve had sex in the last 6 months. I see the point in asking if I’m visiting a gynecologist or have come in with some kind of genitally-related complaint. But when I’m visiting the orthopedist or the podiatrist, I think that information is strictly on a need-to-know basis (ask me in the examining room if it is for some reason pertinent), not an everybody-in-the-office-down-to-the-girl-from-the-temporary-service needs to know basis.
So, question for the doctors here. Why are these questions likely being asked? Are these kinds of questions required for some regulatory reason? Is it primarily “just in case” so you have e.g. someone’s marital status in the very unlikely event you actually find a need for it? Do you actually use this information regularly to make decisions in diagnosis and/or treatment? E.g. “Hey, this patient is an accountant who is married to an attorney. Those people don’t react well to X-rays, we’re gonna have to anal-probe. Nurse, stat!”
In other words, why? If I tell you that I am a married accountant, would that make you diagnose or treat me differently than if I had told you I was a single actuary? If I tell you that my spouse works for FedEx, would I get a different diagnosis or treatment than if I had told you that my spouse works for UPS? Why?
It seems to be the trend to try to extract the most amount of information possible from customers, since most people never object. Recently, I went to a new haircutting “salon” that was offering an introductory, discount rate. At my usual barber, for 40 years, all I did was walk in, sit down, and wait my turn if the chair wasn’t empty, but at the new establishment, they wanted my name (first & last), phone number, cellphone number, address, and next of kin. Just in case of a scissor emergency, I guess.
“I’m sorry, Sir, but the computer won’t let me schedule you for a haircut if I don’t have your name and phone number.”
I walked out with all my hairs intact, and went to my old barber, who didn’t give a shit what my phone number or address was.
I see my doctor every six months (diabetic) and every time I am given a form that asks if I feel threatened in my home and is there a gun in my home. I live alone so it’d be rather silly to threaten myself. I used to not answer the gun question because I don’t see where that is any of their business. I now put no. Which is a kindda white lie. It asks if there is “a” gun in my house and since I have 2 handguns, 2 rifles and 2 shotguns I don’t “technically” have “a” gun.
The receptionist always looks over the forms and will point out any critical field that I missed. No need for them to know so much detail, and my fingers don’t like writing long verbose answers in cramped spaces on forms.
Some years back my wife and I were looking to adopt a kitten from one of those animal shelter groups that work out of the local pet store. The form they gave me had all of those questions and more: they wanted to know full SSN and other financial details my wife and I, as well as our employers and hours of work and so on.
I understand that they want to make sure the pet is not neglected (especially for dogs: will there be someone home to walk the dog?), but I refused to fill it out. I told the nice lady that the stack of forms was prime material for a burglar to plan their crimes—exact schedule for when we would be at home, financial information with SSN to help them branch out into identity theft once they finished the black bag job.
Last year I was buying something silly at a Walgreen’s and I watched as they had the customers in front of me fill out an on-line application for some stupid store loyalty card at a kiosk next to the register (no… your email goes in this field…). I was in a very cranky mood and wondered what idiot thought it was wise to put such a slow process at the POS terminal.
Ten or fifteen minutes later it was my turn: I looked the cashier straight in the eye and said “Let me show you how it’s done.” and lay twenty bucks on the counter. “I give you cash and you give me change. That’s it.”
I felt bad, since it wasn’t the cashier’s fault—it was something the upper bosses were having them do. But my patience had run out.
QUOTE=Musicat;18114844]It seems to be the trend to try to extract the most amount of information possible from customers, since most people never object. Recently, I went to a new haircutting “salon” that was offering an introductory, discount rate. At my usual barber, for 40 years, all I did was walk in, sit down, and wait my turn if the chair wasn’t empty, but at the new establishment, they wanted my name (first & last), phone number, cellphone number, address, and next of kin. Just in case of a scissor emergency, I guess.
“I’m sorry, Sir, but the computer won’t let me schedule you for a haircut if I don’t have your name and phone number.”
I walked out with all my hairs intact, and went to my old barber, who didn’t give a shit what my phone number or address was.
[/QUOTE]
I went to a Hair salon ONCE that wanted to know what salons I had patronized before, why I left that salon, did I color my hair at home, my name, address, cell phone, allergies, and occupation. don’t recall next of kin, but it might have been on there.
Medical office form: one MD’s office’s form asked the color of last poop. I left that one blank.
I give out my SS number on a need-to-know basis. Same with driver’s licence number. But I have never had such a questionaire. My barber doesn’t know my name and my dentist knows only my name and my relevant medical conditions.