Medical Privacy Concern

[Radcat]

I am brand new to the sport. I am all for the emphasis on safety, being medically cleared etc. but I do have a concern about privacy. While I understand the need for shops to have a signed waiver before they take you on a dive, I really don't want my medical history to be documented and available to whomever. Is there any way around this? It seems to me that having a signed dive release from a doctor and signing a general waiver of responsibility should be enough without having to list all the details. If you are concerned about emergency response personnel being aware of a particular condition, you could wear a medical alert necklace. Any thoughts on this?

 

[NudeDiver]

Just lie on the form. Answer all of the questions "correctly" so they don't need a doctor's release.

If you have a concern about a potential issue, there is nothing to keep you from discussing it with your doctor and getting a "release" for your personal records, and keeping it to yourself.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

If you want to, you can purchase used gear off eBay, as well as a used compressor and tanks, and then teach yourself by reading books like many people did through the 60's; No one is forcing you to become a certified diver.

The only time the full medical waiver is required is during training. Many divers only have basic OW, so there is only one medical form, and it is filed in some rusty file cabinet or a dusty box in the back of the shop or a closet of the independent instructor; it's not like we scan it and post a link on the web!

If you're that worried about privacy why are you on the internet?

 

[DBailey]

I am brand new to the sport. I am all for the emphasis on safety, being medically cleared etc. but I do have a concern about privacy. While I understand the need for shops to have a signed waiver before they take you on a dive, I really don't want my medical history to be documented and available to whomever. Is there any way around this? It seems to me that having a signed dive release from a doctor and signing a general waiver of responsibility should be enough without having to list all the details. If you are concerned about emergency response personnel being aware of a particular condition, you could wear a medical alert necklace. Any thoughts on this?

My response is based on PADI's system.

The medical questionare is a required document in the student record. If it is not filled out or present in the student file, it is a standard's violation for the dive center and/ or instructor. The physcian's sign-off form is a required document in the student record if "Yes" is present on the questionare. Both PADI and the shops are aware of the privacy laws out there. This information stays with the student folder. PADI only sees the information if there is an incident and the lawyers/insurance companies request it.

I am having a hard time seeing your issue with the privacy aspect. I respect that you have issues with it, but I don't see them.

The questionare is generic. "Are you taking perscription medication?". If you answer yes, then you need to get your doctor to sign-off on it. The dive shop only knows you are taking a perscription medication, they don't know which one and you don't have to vlounteer it. All of the other questions are vague as well.

If it is any comfort, my standard routine is to scan the blanks looking for a "Yes". If there is a "Yes", is the medical form completed properly? I don't care what the "Yes" is related to.

I don't recommend providing inaccurate information on this form.

 

[PhilEllis]

Just lie on the form. Answer all of the questions "correctly" so they don't need a doctor's release.

If you have a concern about a potential issue, there is nothing to keep you from discussing it with your doctor and getting a "release" for your personal records, and keeping it to yourself.

Horrible advice.

Phil Ellis
Discount Scuba Gear at DiveSports.com - Buy Scuba Diving Equipment & Snorkeling Equipment

 

[knotical]

Interesting question.

There are at least four questions that some folks could consider a bit too personal.

Could you be pregnant, or are you attempting to become pregnant?

Have you ever had or do you currently have…

Behavioral health, mental or psychological problems (Panic attack, fear of closed or open spaces)?

Epilepsy, seizures, convulsions or take medications to prevent them?

Recreational drug use or treatment for, or alcoholism in the past five years

I just checked with our shop and no one has raised the issue before. Discussion included the opinion that we instructors have a duty of care for our students and would prefer to know if a medically cleared student has (for example) had convulsions or used recreational drugs. If something happened, we might be better able to manage an emergency situation.

You might want to talk with the dive shop manager and see if they are willing to ask their certifying agency if they can accept just the release portion of the form.

 

[fdog]

Just lie on the form. Answer all of the questions "correctly" so they don't need a doctor's release.

If you have a concern about a potential issue, there is nothing to keep you from discussing it with your doctor and getting a "release" for your personal records, and keeping it to yourself.

While as attractive as this option may be, it is a disservice to the Instructors and DM's that may have to risk their lives saving you, when something goes wrong.


All the best, James

 

[OldNSalty]

I have lied on medical forms before because I thought 1) the person reviewing the information didn't know enough for it to be useful to them and 2) these people might not have any knowledge of HIPAA and really shouldn't have my information. For something like SCUBA, and especially if the questions are as simple as what knotical listed, then you absolutely should give honest answers...or not get certified. Your call really.

 

[DBailey]

You might want to talk with the dive shop manager and see if they are willing to ask their certifying agency if they can accept just the release portion of the form.

I actually called PADI before typing my earlier response. At least with PADI, there is no skipping the Yes/No portion without violating standards.

I would prefer to have the form changed. Here is how I would do it to avoid this problem.

Leave all of the current blanks. The student has to initial beside each line to acknowledge they read the "medical condition".

Add to the bottom of the forms two lines:

_____ One or more of the aforementioned medical conditions applies to me. To sign-up for diving, I must provide the medical clearance form.

That way, from the liaibiltiy aspect, the student read the entire thing and initalled beside each condition, and still had to answer Yes or No. From the student privacy aspect, there is no way of knowing which applies to the student.

 

[NudeDiver]

While as attractive as this option may be, it is a disservice to the Instructors and DM's that may have to risk their lives saving you, when something goes wrong.

This reminds me of the time when I got to (university) class a bit early and I fell asleep in the hall. Someone called the police. Idiots. Anyway - cop shows up, wakes me up, and I'm like, "ugh, thanks" and head to class - and he doesn't want to let me go! Demands ID, runs a name check and whatever else. I express my obvious displeasure and he proceeds to give me a line of BS, about how I could be hurt or injured or whatever and it's a good thing that someone called the police. I said, "are you a ****ing doctor?" and he said, "No" - and I said, "so then what are you going to do about it? I fell asleep. Duh!!" He was stumped.

I just checked with our shop and no one has raised the issue before. Discussion included the opinion that we instructors have a duty of care for our students and would prefer to know if a medically cleared student has (for example) had convulsions or used recreational drugs. If something happened, we might be better able to manage an emergency situation.

Yeah - i can see this now. The **** hits the fan out on the dive boat. Some DM is thinking to himself, "oh that - guy...what was his name again? Hmmm..isn't he the dude that answered "yes" to the question about using drugs? Hmm..Yeah....I think so. OK, well, instead of action ABC, lets do action 123." Yeah, right. I doubt the overwhelming majority of staff out on a dive boat even look at those forms. Hell, I'd bet that the overwhelming majority of staff beyond whomever you actually give the form to looks at the form. If you actually think those forms serve any purpose whatsoever, except to give the operator SOMETHING to possibly fall back on (i.e. "not our fault he died, he has a history of convulsions" - "not our fault she died - she indicated she might be pregnant - that's what killed her" or whatever), you're kidding yourself - IMHO.

Sorry, but as far as I am concerned, the only thing a dive operator needs to know about my medical status is whether I have made the decision to dive. They don't need to know anything about any conditions which I may or may not have.

Their disservice, or my privacy. Guess which one I'm going to pick? Especially when there is stuff like this going on:

How health insurers secretly blacklist those with certain ailments - Jack & Jill Politics

Trying to buy health insurance on your own and have gallstones? YouÃÍl automatically be denied coverage. Rheumatoid arthritis? Automatic denial. Severe acne? Probably denied. Do you take metformin, a popular drug for diabetes? Denied. Use the anti-clotting drug Plavix or Seroquel, prescribed for anti-psychotic or sleep problems? Forget about it.

This confidential information on some insurers practices is available on the Web if you know where to look......