That pesky Medical Statement

[tursiops]

As noted a yes may not have anything to do with issues the diver has ever had or ever will have. Some yeses refer to family history. So my grandfather who was a heavy smoker had a lung issue. That is irrelevant to me a nonsmoker.

There is only one question about family history, and it asks about a family history of heart attack or stroke, not lung problems.

OK, This may be old questions about an old form, but I'm looking at a PADI one from 5-10 years ago.---
Seems on the left side there's a checklist of things to look at and check off. If you have or do any of these things you "must seek advice of your physician"......doesn't say you need a note from the doctor.
For me here, I would say YES to:
--occasionally smoking a pipe.
--take prescription medication--pills for my sensitive bladder.
--HAD severe hayfever or allergy (YES, but not since about age 35 and I'm 63)
Using common sense, I MAY not answer YES to any of those 3 (honestly can't recall what I've done with that it's been so long ago).

The right side specifically SAYS "answer YES....we must request that you consult with a physician".... and you can get such a form from your instructor, etc.
Now, all the stuff on THIS side looks really serious! And I'd WANT to ask a Dr.

I don't know what the left side means you should do with a YES--just see the Dr. for your own good and don't worry about telling the shop?
Again, it's an old form--apologize if it's changed.

You are a bit confused; there is no Left side and Right side to the instructions, just two columns of instructions preceding two columns of questions. The instructions apply to all the questions. All the questions are of equal importance, and a YES answer to any of them necessitates consultation with a physician.

 

[tursiops]

This is what it says:

"To the participant:

The purpose of this Medical Questionnaire is to find out if you should be examined by your doctor before participating in recreational diver training. A positive response to a question does not necessarily disqualify you from diving. A positive response means that there is a preexisting condition that may affect your safety while diving and you must seek the advice of your physician prior to engaging in dive activities. Please answer the following questions on your past or present medical history with a YES or NO. If you are not sure, answer YES. If any of these items apply to you, we must request that you consult with a physician prior to participating in scuba diving."

Now, this is a training specific form. PADI only cares about PADI-related dives (all courses, including ReActivate and DSD).

It is an RSTC form, not a PADI form. It is mandatory for training under all RSTC agencies, and can be required by any dive operation whether related to training or not. Their operation, their rules.

 

[cipherbreak]

It is an RSTC form, not a PADI form. It is mandatory for training under all RSTC agencies, and can be required by any dive operation whether related to training or not. Their operation, their rules.

What I meant is that the source material I used is part of the PADI training pre-reqs, thus it references training in it. Naturally, some forms are not specific to recreational training.

 

[cipherbreak]

I fail to discern the *wink wink* part of post #189. I hope your lawyers are comfortable with this becoming permanent internet pap.

For the Internet scuba police record, I had something in my eye. Left eye to be specific.

 

[lowviz]

Let's leave it here. I'm out of anything further. Guessing you need to put food on the table for your fam.

Picking instructors is an art...

 

[drrich2]

I think the issue with what CipherBreak is describing has this dynamic:

1.) The customer has the option to conceal medical history & only check 'no' on the form. This is seen as protecting the dive op. from liability should something bad happen without a doctor's statement.

2.) The customer instead make a choice to disclose this info., shifting the liability burden onto the dive op., which caught between a rock (shouldering that liability) and a hard place (ticking off a customer, losing business), will not tolerate that liability and instead demands it be shifted to some Physician (or maybe Nurse Practioner?), a process that's time consuming, inconvenient and if one doesn't have a current Physician willing to do it, and reachable at the time, may border on impossible. And the Physician may refuse to take the liability onto himself.

3.) The customer who put the dive op. in this position then proceeds to try to cajole, push and in some cases maybe even get belligerent in begging/requesting/demanding the dive op. write the issue off as insignificant and take them diving without the medical release.

From some dive op.'s perspectives, I suppose it could be interpreted like 'Look, buddy, you can either screw yourself over by checking 'Yes' after you showed up without a medical release in hand, or you can check all 'No,' but if you do the former, don't expect us to stick our neck out to take you diving.

 

[lowviz]

4.) The customer can't put his/her ethics aside and answers honestly.

 

[cipherbreak]

Let's leave it here. I'm out of anything further. Guessing you need to put food on the table for your fam.

Picking instructors is an art...

Honestly, I don't go around telling people how to answer their medical questionnaire nor I try to influence their response. The problem is some people fail to read and are not aware that responding YES will preclude them from diving and answer YES liberally. The form is broad enough that it probably covers 90% of the population depending on how you interpret it. "Have you ever had any form of lung disease? Well I had bronchitis when I was 3 years old. Let me write YES to be safe. Frequent colds? Well, once a year. Maybe. I guess, YES?".

Great. I am glad you were honest. Now, if you still want to dive, spare me the entirety of your life story and get a doctor's note because I am not a doctor and I cannot, in good faith, reassure you that you are in fact okay to dive.

Really, I hope they answer truthfully.

 

[lowviz]

You are the professional, right? They are clueless, right? You need to communicate.

 

[TMHeimer]

It is an RSTC form, not a PADI form. It is mandatory for training under all RSTC agencies, and can be required by any dive operation whether related to training or not. Their operation, their rules.

Thanks. I see that now. It LOOKS to me like two separate columns with separate instructions. Kind like some old questions on PADI exams--not perfectly clear?
I must've answered NO to smoking the pipe, Pee medication and allergies from 30 years ago as I don't recall bringing any form to my Dr. Maybe somebody gave me a **wink** back in 2005.
I guess the form hasn't changed in 10+ years.