Health privacy issues concern

[nogutsnoglory]

Doctors & medical staff seem to record every piece of demographic data and symptom you report. Obviously they need to record everything to be thorough and protect themselves against negligence but what if you want to say something to your doctor in private?

If you want to confide your sexual orientation let's say for purposes of specific health concerns and ask your doctor not to document that information is it up to their discretion as to whether they do so? I suppose as a patient we would never know but I wonder if they need to respect our wishes or they are required to list it as part of the discussion during the visit.

In the US we have strict health care privacy laws known as HIPPA but I really have no clue how sensitive issues such as LGBT and other topics are handled.

I understand some have no issue being out to their medical teams and others don't see a reason to bring it up at all but I have important concerns but also don't want to face undue medical mistreatment.

 

[theOcean]

At my hospital, the last time I had a procedure (colonoscopy) done, they went through a bunch of surveys where they documented sex, gender, and orientation. There was always an option to answer that you didn't wish to say, which was comforting. Outside of that, I've really never had my orientation come up, except with my psychiatrist.

Going to tag Orchid for this thread.

EDIT: It does look like we have FIPPA here in Canada.

 

[Orchid]

I don't have legal knowledge but I do have the experiences of being a transwoman in the American healthcare system. Literally every doctor gets informed of this fact the first time they look at my files because I had to be diagnosed with a mental condition (lol) to get HRT and if somehow they miss that the fact I'm taking Spironolactone and Estrogen without some form of exotic cancer or heart failure is the other major giveaway.

They've all been respectful (then again it's the law in Oregon), except my GI, he keeps using my slave name and male pronouns but I think it's from the fact he is legitimately more scared of me than I am of him/bad at social interaction. Practiced medicine for 14 years and somehow he still looks like a nervous little rat. The fact I'm also a lesbian has never come up with anyone but my therapist.

 

[valleysangel92]

It might be different where you are, but here, confidentiality laws would come into things like this. If you specifically said you wanted something kept private then it would be against the rules for it to be shared with another doctor (unless it could cause you or another harm not to) .

Something like sexual orientation would be included in this. If you wanted to make an enquiry about a certain treatment then that would only be put in the notes if you decided to go ahead with that treatment (for example, in cases like Orchid's needing HRT) . If your orientation has no impact on your treatment then normally there's no need for it to be recorded (although with girls they tend to if concerned about pregnancy) .

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Thanks guys there would be no impact on the treatment itself but I am concerned with the idea that they will add it to the notes in terms of the fact that we are talking about an illness that affects the butt and they may want to be aware if their patients are sexually active in that respect.

 

[Orchid]

Expect it to be noted, if you suspect mistreatment due to your orientation familiarize yourself with your states patient protection laws and how to lodge a complaint with the state medical board.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Here's my worst nightmare come true: doctors list man as "chronically homosexual" in his medical record http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...sexuality-as-chronic-condition-270824541.html

I'm glad he is suing them because what the heck is that about. Its fine to list his orientation for demographics but to diagnose it like it's a disease is offensive and harkens back to when they thought homosexuality was a mental illness that can be cured with talk and shock therapy.

 

[theOcean]

...Also too because wasn't it no longer considered a mental illness already back in the 70s? That's ridiculous.

 

[Orchid]

White straight cissexual people do the darnedest things, I hope they lose a metric ton of money on this.