tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post2819165179973078747..comments2022-12-12T10:49:47.419-05:00Comments on Patient Modesty & Privacy <center>Concerns</center>: Privacy Violations: A patient's experienceJoel Sherman MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15302609163683972129noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-62592954373849413752018-05-22T19:25:41.097-04:002018-05-22T19:25:41.097-04:00Regarding the ACLU, your case is actually not a sm...Regarding the ACLU, your case is actually not a small, local issue. There is a policy that is clearly illegal and discriminatory. Your case is just one example of it. This is actually a big deal because it is happening across the board with many men. If it's too much to fight I get it and I don't want to pressure you or guilt you. I just have the opinion that it's not a small case. That said, I am not an lawyer. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-64366688225587755202018-01-22T20:47:32.666-05:002018-01-22T20:47:32.666-05:00It is a textbook discrimination case. It is not et...It is a textbook discrimination case. It is not ethical to have two standards of health care based on gender. Still, The Affordable Care Act excludes Prostate Cancer Screening or treatment, and still charges men and women the same. I saw a segment on TV news about a woman concerned that she couldn't finish her breast cancer treatment if there is a change in the ACA. I don't see anything on the news about the men denied cancer treatment.<br /><br />Legal action is a step much larger than I want to take. I haven't thought about it. Also, the ACLU involvement. I know they do get involved in small, local actions like mine. Everything they do is not national.<br /><br />It is probably the only option that will change the system.Still Standinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00918635854603145516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-14974309665669897272018-01-12T13:32:27.071-05:002018-01-12T13:32:27.071-05:00They are explicitly giving different levels of car...They are explicitly giving different levels of care based on gender by their own admission. That seems like a textbook discrimination case. Maybe consult the ACLU?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-53777506940395648332017-11-17T12:15:44.582-05:002017-11-17T12:15:44.582-05:00Thanks for the kudos and comments, Dany.
I have si...Thanks for the kudos and comments, Dany.<br />I have since sent a second letter to the Patient Experience, this time requesting a same-gender medical team for my upcoming prostate biopsy. To schedule this I got two phone calls from two different women at the VA (there was a snafu and it had to be rescheduled, hence the second phone call) and both times asked for a same-gender team. Both times they asked me to repeat what I'd said and from their voice they implied there was something wrong with me and that no one else ever asked for this. <br />One week after my letter I got a phone call from Patient Advocate honoring my request. The Patient Advocate said he simply went to the department and asked, and they said sure. He said I would get a formal letter stating the care I would receive. When I asked, he said it was rare, in his knowledge, for a man to make this request.<br />I am going to pursue this issue of the women who make appointments not acting on requests from their male veterans, and not even recording the requests. The statement that it is rare for men to request same-gender care is probably not true. The women in scheduling just tell them 'no' and leave it at that.<br />I commend the Patient Experience department for acting and honoring my request.<br />After I have gone further with my issue with the scheduling department, I will tell you how that went.<br />- Still StandingStill Standinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00918635854603145516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-70646457417138408932017-11-16T19:43:24.708-05:002017-11-16T19:43:24.708-05:00I will echo Dr Sherman's comment in appreciati...I will echo Dr Sherman's comment in appreciation of the poster still waiting's initiative. Perhaps not the complete victory expected but still, it looks like his complaint got some traction... And some changes are being implemented. Nice job!<br /><br />Of course, and perhaps this is the cynic in me speaking, we're still a long way away from being treated equally with regard to privacy and/or modesty, as evidenced by the fact that this VA clinic seem oh so proud of what they are doing to protect their female patients. And yet...<br /><br />DanyDanyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12981735467422455228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752793986869193186.post-60609712481536295312017-11-12T10:19:27.057-05:002017-11-12T10:19:27.057-05:00This article calls into attention a frequent priva...This article calls into attention a frequent privacy violation to which we have not given much attention. The presence of an unnecessary person in the room during a medical or surgical encounter may range from blatant as in this case, with a person chatting about their personal issues to relatively trivial or accidental. The intruders usually are medical personnel but they could be industry types or even non medical 'observers.' Either way complaints are justified and I commend 'still waiting' for speaking up.Joel Sherman MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15302609163683972129noreply@blogger.com