Why are all healthcare staff required to persistently ask patients their birthdates? I know it is for ID. But the entire birthdate is not necessary. Some medical assistants and nurses are obsessed with it. They don't ask for names, not even a hello. Their only line is "what's your birthdate?" "Well, what's your birthday, we should retort".
This is rude and disrespectful to adult patients, especially over a certain age and seniors who want to keep this private. Certainly, some other number (PIN) is possible. I know that nurses are just following protocol, rules. Maybe things could change one clinic at a time. One day someone will collapse unconscious on the floor and before they help him, he will be asked his birthdate.
I just always get confused about why people ask about birthdate to use if the patient is "oriented"... I also stopped asking political questions since I didn't want to hear the answer ? (I usually ask questions like "How old are you".. and "what is the next/last Holiday". Both get some interesting results in patients with dementia (today my 90 yo said she was about 50, my grandmother thought she was a teenager in the end).. But birthday is an identifier, often used before procedures and medications. Two John Smiths in the ED getting blood could be big big trouble...
Just recently went to optometrist for eye exam. No one asked for identifier besides first, last name. It was thru VA. The doc asked how I qualified for VA health care, first weird question. Cuz I was Navy Nurse. Then he says so last visit was February. Nope, last visit over one year ago. Then he shows me lab results that say Positive HLA B27! Nope I don’t have ankylosing spondylitis! He asked how I know what that lab test is! Cuz I’m a FNP & have a pt with that lab! He had wrong chart, pt has same first & last name as me, different middle name, different Birthday. This is second time incorrect pt issue happens. Many years ago went to pick up meds after visit at urgent care. The pharmacy is part of this urgent care. I was handed a large bag of meds, had horrible sinus infection so not thinking clearly it should only be getting antibiotics and predpak. OK I said not looking in the bag at the meds. So how much is it? Nothing since you have Meficaid! Like hell I do! You’re lucky I’m a nurse! These medications are NOT for me! The pharmacist freaked out, So, yeah please ask for DOB & any other identifiers
Why are all healthcare staff required to persistently ask patients their birthdates? I know it is for ID. But the entire birthdate is not necessary. Some medical assistants and nurses are obsessed with it. They don't ask for names, not even a hello. Their only line is "what's your birthdate?" "Well, what's your birthday, we should retort".
This is rude and disrespectful to adult patients, especially over a certain age and seniors who want to keep this private. Certainly, some other number (PIN) is possible. I know that nurses are just following protocol, rules. Maybe things could change one clinic at a time. One day someone will collapse unconscious on the floor and before they help him, he will be asked his birthdate.
#1 You answered your own question, it’s to verify ID.
#2 The “one clinic at a time PIN” sounds like an absolute disaster LOL. How is the patient identified to give out the PIN in the first place? With a decentralized “PIN” system how many PINs is a patient going to have to remember? What happens if they forget their PIN?
#3 When a patient collapses unconscious on the floor, the priority is going to be BLS measures. But then yeah, having the patient’s identity is going to be pretty helpful in treating their unresponsiveness: medical hx, medications, course of tx in facility….in the ED we treat patients with unverified IDs and no hx or ability to give hx all the time but it’s not ideal.
#4 You want the people taking care of you to be “obsessed” with your safety.
#5 Looking forward to the post questioning timeouts: “we all know what we’re here it’s not like they’re going to do surgery on the wrong person” ?
I think members mismisunderstand me. Agreed that DOB is important identifier. In my experience, clinics and services over do it. Everyone in the clinic does not need to know. Office workers, secretaries, medical assistants. I object to their intrusions into privacy. Everyone who sees the patient asks for DOB, even when they know it. They want the patient to repeat it, almost like he is a child. Some assistants are curt, rude, in your face. Patients' name does not matter to them. Many patients and (people) are VERY sensitive about their age. Especially over 50 years. When you are 60 plus you will understand. I know many retired people who are uncomfortable with it.
I think members mismisunderstand me. Agreed that DOB is important identifier. In my experience, clinics and services over do it. Everyone in the clinic does not need to know. Office workers, secretaries, medical assistants. I object to their intrusions into privacy. Everyone who sees the patient asks for DOB, even when they know it. They want the patient to repeat it, almost like he is a child. ...
No, you don't get it. Again, they aren't asking because they "want" to know it, they're asking to help confirm the patient's identity. And, everyone with a requirement to identify the patient does need to know this information.
21 minutes ago, Mywords1 said:
... Some assistants are curt, rude, in your face. Patients' name does not matter to them. ...
If they are being curt or rude to the patient, then I agree, this behavior most definitely needs to be addressed. As well as this lack of interest in the patient's name. Every facility in which I have workedbrequires verifying patient identity using two distinct identifiers.
26 minutes ago, Mywords1 said:
... Many patients and (people) are VERY sensitive about their age. Especially over 50 years. When you are 60 plus you will understand. I know many retired people who are uncomfortable with it.
This makes no sense. I think @MunoRN addressed this issue most effectively here.
29 minutes ago, Mywords1 said:
Don't know the answer.
If this bothers you this much, perhaps you should give it more consideration.
They want the patient to repeat it, almost like he is a child.
I think you're attributing a sentiment that isn't there based on something that is personal to you. There is no reason that verifying someone's birthdate by asking them to state it would be treating someone like a child. It is understood that you do know your birthdate, this isn't a quiz or some kind of practice that might be done with a child learning these things; both parties are well aware of this.
I think it's possible that you are the one with the biggest actual preoccupation with your age--not the healthcare workers. I don't say that to be mean; I think it's very possible. You seem to be associating younger ages with higher intrinsic/human value....you're devaluing yourself and then feeling bad when others ask your age because of the (lesser) value you have placed on your age.
No one else is criticizing your age, whatever it is. It is you feeling sensitive about it.
On the other hand, there are plenty of young people who are adult professionals who are straight up told that they look like a kid/child or that they are not old enough to be a nurse, a doctor, whatever. And typically when someone has very young-ish features, they hear this over and over and over again from people who just need to comment on it, or worse, who actually don't trust the person because of it.
I think you should reconsider, for your own peace of mind.
Davey Do
10,666 Posts