Medical Privacy Concern
- Thread starter Radcat
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I feel like that old ATT commercial with Paul Reiser...
"Am I being unclear?"
You can argue semantics about this "poor chap" all you like, but the fact of the matter is if he hadn't lied on the form, he'd be having dinner with his wife and kids right now.
Your glib "life has consequences" response is nearly as assinine as lying on the medical form.
I'm also quite offended by the implication that saying "life has consequences" suggests it's OK to tell a new student to lie on the form to assuage privacy concerns, while making for them a secret decision that the convenience of such privacy outweighs the value of their life in a consequent emergency. That is one really warped sense of priorities.
NudeDiver
Contributor
NudeDiver
Contributor
Huh?? Making a decision for whom? People make their own decisions.
And in the case of this thread - the OP already indicated advice and consent from his doctor and DAN. What medical brilliance does some guy at a dive shop have, that necessitates he (or she) get the details of the OP's medical condition - so another highly qualified medical opinion can be rendered?
gene02
Guest
So he's better off dead, than having been kept from diving?
Isn't that the point of the medical release form?
Oh so let me get this correct I or we need big brother or some agency to tell us that diving with a medical issue is dangerous because it puts others at risk, So I guess under those pretenses that anyone who ever say had a hart condition or high blood pressure ect. ect. should not be aloud to drive either because auto accidents involve strangers, EMS, Fire and police departments and kill people every day even though there is a public transportation option for them.
I just renewed my drivers license last year I don't recall them ask about any of those conditions they did check eye sight to make sure I could see anyone I was going to run over. Just kidding about the running over part.
This release form is not about helping me it is about lawyers courts and insurance.
There's no grounds to invoke HIPAA here, you're voluntarily releasing your own information to a dive shop/instructor that is not a covered entity under HIPAA.
Remember, the H and I in HIPAA stands for "Health Insurance" and the act covers people who receive payments or reimbursement related to health insurance - health care providers, health plans, and organizations that process healthcare data for healthcare providers or health plans.
PacificNWdiver
Guest
When I went through the classes for my certification I was in the midst of chemotherapy. I also had major surgery about 6 weeks prior to the class. I made the decision to answer the questions in such a way that it did not require my disclosure of my condition. Scuba diving was on my "bucket list" so to speak.
I did consult with my oncologist (she wasn't excited about the idea) and did recieve approval from her. I would agree that the questionaire would be helpful to personnel that have a vested interest into your well being. Had my doctor told me that it would endanger me further I probably would not have proceeded with the classes. However, I can see why someone would continue even though the consequences could be severe.
I may be assinine to have lied on a medical waiver form, but I made the decision as an adult knowing that I may not have much life to live if my condition worsens. Life is for living...some of us just have more or less time than others.
I did consult with my oncologist (she wasn't excited about the idea) and did recieve approval from her. I would agree that the questionaire would be helpful to personnel that have a vested interest into your well being. Had my doctor told me that it would endanger me further I probably would not have proceeded with the classes. However, I can see why someone would continue even though the consequences could be severe.
I may be assinine to have lied on a medical waiver form, but I made the decision as an adult knowing that I may not have much life to live if my condition worsens. Life is for living...some of us just have more or less time than others.
While I'm with you in spirit, I don't believe that for a second.
If Joe Diver lies on the form, dives and dies as a result, did he die because of the box he failed to check?
More likely, Joe Diver lies on the form, dives and dies as a result. He died because he knew he had a medical issue his Doctor would never release him for. Either way, he died because he knew he had a condition that contradicted diving.
This is about privacy, not health. Should the dive shop have access to personal medical information? I would say no, but currently, if we play by the rules, they will have some of the infomation. How much should they have is another story.
NudeDiver
Contributor
...in this case, we're talking about NOT voluntarily releasing one's own information - and one reason for this is precisely because you're not guaranteed under law that your information will remain private. Of course, a second reason is simply because it's none of their damned business, and exposing that information and then having them requiring a doctor's note provides no medical advantage to you over NOT revealing the information, and getting your doctor's "approval" privately.
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