Have you travelled to Africa is a invasion of privacy?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I wish I was kidding but I'm not. I was just told that clinics, hospitals, doctor offices and so on asking upon entry if anyone has travelled to Africa recently, been near somebody who had travelled to Africa recently is an "invasive" question and a violation of their privacy.

No joke.

They say this is a battle worth fighting and they won't answer.

They actually believe this is more expensive than their suggestion of following those who eventually came over as already tracked by our government. They believe since the government "knows everyone who has traveled to high risk areas" they should be followed and that these questions should stop.

Don't they have better battles to fight? Invasive question! I just shake my head.

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Is asking people if they use street drugs invasive?

I don't think so...don't know how they feel and in afraid to even ask.

Ever read a blood donor eligibility questionnaire? In the late 1980s and early 90s very intimate questions about your sex life were asked face to face.

Am I Eligible? | Am I Eligible | Blood Donation | Blood Centers of the Pacific

I recently was asked by a Park Ranger about what parts of the country my hiking boots had been in. I could have said nowhere else or I could be truthful and hope I hadn't been someplace which was going to get my hiking/cave plans scrapped. Luckily after a thorough physical and hx assessment my boots were cleared as safe.

What we should have learned from years of HIV and substance abusers is that treating personal questions as anything other than part of a medical history as professionals will cause people to withhold information and mistrust our healthcare system regardless of the government's "requirements".

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
I was told it was "invasive" and that it was "discriminating" against people who were "black, had an accent, had a respiratory illness or a GU bug". There are 2 people who are actually telling me this. They believe this is a battle they want to fight and is worth fighting. They believe asking these questions is costly and that if the government just followed everyone who travelled in it would be cheaper. They feel since these questions have not uncovered a single person with ebola it is useless. Now how they know it hasn't uncovered this is beyond me. I can say I have asked these questions so many times and did have somebody who gave us an unexpected response. It turned out to be a false alarm...for now. The person does have reason to be concerned in the near future. These questions uncovered a time for education.

I'm blown away that people would think this is invasive and a battle worth fighting.

That's my thought too - just doesn't seem to me that would be a point I would want to raise an issue with. Maybe I would feel differently if I were in their shoes, I'm not sure.

I AM sure I would feel like crap if I had it and gave it to someone else -

Anne, RNC

People who travel to other countries, especially ones with outbreaks of diseases should be asked those questions, if they don't want to be questioned then stay in the United States..... They are putting us all at risk! I get so sick of hearing about doctors being infected with Ebola being brought back to the United States for treatment, they know the risk going there to treat people, they should have to stay there until they get better, it is not fair to bring them back here to treat them, it puts people who don't travel for that very reason at risk! Our Government should require these volunteering/ bleeding hearts to sign an agreement stating volunteer at your own risk, you may not re-enter the United States unless you are physically healthy from travel. Furthermore, there are tons of US citizens that could use volunteer treatment from doctors, it is not necessary to go to disease ridden countries to help people when we have people suffering here. Africa makes millions of dollars in tourism they need to start taking care of their citizens with some of that money, I remember in the 80's it was Aids killing them, now it's Ebola, they continue to be one of the poorest nastiest, disease ridden countries that have babies upon babies that they can't take care of, yet we keep helping them to no avail....sometimes enough is enough!

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.
Africa makes millions of dollars in tourism they need to start taking care of their citizens with some of that money, I remember in the 80's it was Aids killing them, now it's Ebola, they continue to be one of the poorest nastiest, disease ridden countries that have babies upon babies that they can't take care of, yet we keep helping them to no avail....sometimes enough is enough!

Doesn't help your argument when you call an entire continent with diverse geography, politics and socio-economic conditions the "country of Africa".

Here's a little education on how different countries in Africa (that's a continent, btw) have extremely diverse rates of AIDs. Just as an example.

Just trying to educate here. . .

Hans Rosling: Insights on HIV, in stunning data visuals | Talk Video | TED.com

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I've had to ask similar questions to my patients. Almost no one has complained...and for the few that did wonder why I wanted to know this information, I explained that I'm asking as part of an Ebola screening, and they were satisifed with that.

I agree, the question is neither invasive nor discriminatory...but if they don't want to answer, just make a note of that and let the appropriate people know.

Specializes in Oncology.

We ask if they've been to west Africa or have had close contact with anyone who has in the last 3 weeks, then narrow it down from there if we need to. As a patient, I was asked if I've been outside the US in the last 21 days.

Specializes in Outpatient/Clinic, ClinDoc.

My clinic is mostly white elderly men and we ask every single one of them about recent travel to West Africa. It's highly unlikely, of course, but we do ask. Definitely not discriminatory, that's for sure. :)

People can get their knickers in a twist on just about every subject you can dream up. Doesn't mean policies should bend to every 'twisted-knicker' out there.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

This past summer, before Ebola hit the news, the big fear in my neck of the woods was measles. An outbreak in New York city combined with tourist season and low vaccination rates made people in health care very nervous.

Whenever I go to the doctor now, I see signs at check-in advising patients to tell the person who checks them in if they have been to Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, India, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia in the last 3 months. The last 3 are about detecting polio and MERS.

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