Depression test

[nwslopoke]

My health provider his sent a letter informing me, along with a list of other screening that they are adding a depression test, (my wording).

I have never indicated, offered or had any questions leading up to such a screening. I can't get my knees operated on but now they want a peak into my noggin.

I don't like where these "helpful " benefits are going:

Do pictures of puppies make you want to cry?
Yes, yes they do.
Ha! Gotcha. We order you to take these meds & stay away from work, guns and puppies.

Read More

 

[Joe13]

It's to cover their butt, I doubt they are going to send you in for a mental health exam over it - unless you answer them all wrong.
Even then you would have to agree to go unless you put in writing your willing and thinking of harming yourself or others.


I had the medical assistant at one of the three doctors offices I was in yesterday ask me if I was sexually active. I'm 39 married with a kid, so I told her yea I was up until my knee surgery at which point I've been stuck on a couch with my leg up after a fairly traumatic knee surgery...

This is at a clinic I've been with for 10 years and also back 25 years ago when I was under my parents insurance and I've never been asked that ever.


I suppose she could have been hitting on me but I'm too married for that to have even occurred to me if she was.

 

[PaulB47]

"None of your business" is an appropriate answer. I rarely fill out all blanks in a questionnaire, even the ones that require it.

 

[Certaindeaf]

They are just doing their due diligence.. so you can't sue them when they lobotomize you or cut your balls off.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

You might want to use a Sharpie and circle your knees with arrows running down your legs pointing at the knees.
Write KNEES on the shins just below, with more arrows pointing up.

 

[Certaindeaf]

You might want to use a Sharpie and circle your knees with arrows running down your legs pointing at the knees.
Write KNEES on the shins just below, with more arrows pointing up.

Yea it's kinda sad.. "Yes, I'm depressed because I NEED NEW F'ING KNEES AND IT HURTS!!" ouch

 

[bolus]

Sometimes it is for screening (a lot of patient's dont tell me they are depressed for various reasons but will put it down on paper. I've been able to help quite a few people who were too embarrassed to tell me they were depressed this way )

But a lot of this is being driving by either medicare or insurance companies.

In my clinic we have to screen for depression. alcohol and drug abuse, and emotional/physical abuse in the home in addition to screening tests for chronic disease and preventive care.

Here is how is works. The joint commission Accreditation, Health Care, Certification | Joint Commission decided that we need to screen at least 90% of our patients for domestic abuse once a year by adding the question "do you feel safe at home" to all our screening questions.

If we dont do it, the hospital will loose its accreditation which is a huge deal. The only thing administrators care about more than money is accreditation.

The Joint Commission once dinged us for not checking a fire extinguisher in the other side of the building that we lease space from (it was not even on our property).

Many of the questions that insurance companies require us to ask will result in reduced payment if we dont ask them

Welcome to Medicare and insurance companies telling us docs how to do our job.

you can refuse to answer the questions, but your doc will get paid less. You just say no to all the questions as well.

You can tell your legislators to leave docs the F alone but all legislators are corrupt piles of crap and dont do anything unless you area a billionaire who likes donating lots of money.

 

[Joe13]

Been asked the "do you feel safe at home" with my 5'6" wife in the room - I want too joke and say no but get the feeling it is akin to telling the checking cleric at the airport "someone gave me this bag randomly", funny too me but will probably end my butt in jail.

I just answer all the questions and hope that my doctor has my best interest in mind - if I don't trust my doctor then I find a new one.

I have 2 that I like right now - history builds trust and that helps whe I call in and ask for pain meds or muscle relaxers and not have to make an appointment more often then not.

 

[Certaindeaf]

One American flag and an apple pie, stat!
lol







jes roll with it, no big deal.

 

[nwslopoke]

View attachment 312039

One American flag and an apple pie, stat!
lol







jes roll with it, no big deal.

He's just so damned cute...how can you not tear up?

Seriously I just find it somewhat of an overreach. For the record, I am not sad or depressed. I was a bit shocked when I got a few phone messages because I hadn't replied to the letter (which I hadn't noticed). Never had they been so aggressive as to track me down for a reply.

While I completely agree people get depressed and the effects are a real thing, I am from the generation of:

Walk it off.
Take a knee, ladies
Suck it up.
Stop acting like a little b****.

I get the feeling we are supposed to be sad and scared all the time. My mind doesn't work that way. The letter I got just rubbed me the wrong way. First answer the questions, then, Oh by the way, there are some actual medical issues we need to talk about.

Finally, and why this rant ended up on a gun forum. I get the idea that if you answer the questions the wrong way, actions could be eventually taken to remove your firearms for your own protection. I appreciate the input Bolus provided.

 

[Certaindeaf]

It is a good thing to talk about it, but I think and know, down to my bones, that there's nothing really sinister about this, at its face.. they do that to everybody and "that's their job".. so just say,.. "How 'bout those Mets!" or somesuch.
life is but a game, don't get caught (by the)
lol

 

[Osarion]

Welcome to Medicare and insurance companies telling us docs how to do our job.

Thus we have one of the fundamental failings of our health care system. One of several, anyway. My mother is a PA, so I hear about this type of crap from someone who's actively dealing with these systems.

 

[HuckleberryFun]

It's to cover their butt, I doubt they are going to send you in for a mental health exam over it - unless you answer them all wrong.
Even then you would have to agree to go unless you put in writing your willing and thinking of harming yourself or others.


I had the medical assistant at one of the three doctors offices I was in yesterday ask me if I was sexually active. I'm 39 married with a kid, so I told her yea I was up until my knee surgery at which point I've been stuck on a couch with my leg up after a fairly traumatic knee surgery...

This is at a clinic I've been with for 10 years and also back 25 years ago when I was under my parents insurance and I've never been asked that ever.


I suppose she could have been hitting on me but I'm too married for that to have even occurred to me if she was.

I was fine until you asked how much sex I'm getting.
Now I'm depressed. Thanks!

 

[tac]

Apropos the airline check-in desk - it just cracks me up when the clerk asks me if there is anything in my baggage that I don't know about.

Uh, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiggghhhttt.

Sorry, I'll get back on the thread now.....

My doc treats me for my raised BP, and always comments on my low heart-rate, giving a quiet chuckle to himself as he records 43 - 44 BPM. He has never asked me about puppies, sex, fear of clowns, string or general malaise. OTOH, he has never joined the dots with regard to my low pulse rate and raised BP. A heart that only beats 43 times per minute is necessarily going to work harder than somebody whose heart sounds like a freakin' gerbil.

He has never asked me if I shoot bang-gun things, either, in spite of having written me a note to give to shoot organisers to inform them that I'm [officially] on a form of beta-blocker. He can't help me long-term with injuries incurred during my military service, because there is literally nothing that he can do that a couple of Advil won't do, if I can be bothered to take 'em.

In short, he sticks to fixing up the occasional busted bits, or trying to do something to prolong my life, and keeps his nose well out of things that don't concern him.

tac

 

[bolus]

My doc treats me for my raised BP, and always comments on my low heart-rate, giving a quiet chuckle to himself as he records 43 - 44 BPM.

Cushing reflex? that explains the content of your posts
(sorry, very bad doctor joke)

 

[tac]

Cushing reflex? that explains the content of your posts
(sorry, very bad doctor joke)

Yup. Very bad.

My low heart-rate might be down to being a lifelong skier [with thirteen years Army biathlon team], but might be better explone by my laid-back attitude to life. For instance, back in the day when I actually gave a square root of SFA about stuff, I rarely got too het up, relying on delivering a swift healthy smack around the head of the hettee that relieved any and all tension.

I get peace, and the hettee/hittee gets a nice restful nap.

Problem solved.

tac

 

[Certaindeaf]

What you want to do, when queried such, is to lie on your back, spread your legs and piss yourself.
good talk

 

[Sgt Nambu]

YES!!! I'm depressed because you medicos are in my face!
Be advised that I will contact you as soon I need you!

Please Remember! I'm old school! That means YOU work for ME!!! Not visa, versa! Thank you for your concern!

 

[Dungannon]

Bolus nailed it. I've had the same primary physician for 16 years, and he's been willing to explain why a new question gets asked. The only time I was asked an inappropriate question was by a different doctor at a different health organization, to which I never returned.

I was asked if I owned any guns. I responded it was none of his business, and why would he be asking such a question when I came in for a physical. He responded that the organization liked to do a risk assessment for all their clients. I told him that if they were truly interested in determining the relative risk of my life/life-style they would be asking a different set of questions: how many miles do you drive in a typical week, do you always wear a seat belt, family medical history, etc. I volunteered that I owned a motorcycle, two chainsaws, a tablesaw, bandsaw, planer, jointer, etc. He looked taken aback so I added that based on injuries incurred, my utility knife was the most dangerous object in the home.

When I left I told them I would be switching to another doctor in a different medical organization: one that took an interest in my actual health rather than pursuing a political agenda.

 

[Joe13]

Me - I am a little depressed about the amount of stress in my life.

Doc - get the stress out of your life.

Me - then make me better so I can work and make an income and then I won't be stressed...