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- Aug 8, 2005
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- 11,070
I'd like to clarify the information regarding bites and stings that is disseminated to the general public.
-With the exception of certain public health agency listed epidemic diseases a physician is not obligated to make a report, public statement, regarding anything inclusive of bites or stings.
-A physician is not obligated to give out any patient information unless a law demands otherwise.
-If a physician chooses to report a bite or sting, s/he is not obligated to specify the exact animal. S/he may use generalities as deemed fit.
-If a physician chooses to give exacting information regarding a bite or sting, this entails her/him making a report entirely separate from the report kept in the patient medical records, requiring the physician to undertake additional work. This is usually unpaid and can pose an additional risk for a malpractice action.
-Even if the medical group or hospital has a policy of recording and reporting a bite or sting, the physician is not obligated to make this report if s/he deems it to be a potential breach of doctor-patient confidentiality. Only a peer review board may over-ride such a decision and that is very rarely done.
-Most physicians that make an effort to report a bite or sting only use generalities. They aren't arachnidologists, entomologists or herpitologists and they (usually) are loath to overstep their bounds.
-When a physician does make a report of a bite or sting it is her/his decision as to how the information is disseminated. That can be anything from a small morbidity report amongst tens of thousands of similar reports published every month to a major tabloid press release.
So, obviously, when we quote bite or sting statistics, even from highly qualified experts in the field, our information can be wildly inaccurate.
-With the exception of certain public health agency listed epidemic diseases a physician is not obligated to make a report, public statement, regarding anything inclusive of bites or stings.
-A physician is not obligated to give out any patient information unless a law demands otherwise.
-If a physician chooses to report a bite or sting, s/he is not obligated to specify the exact animal. S/he may use generalities as deemed fit.
-If a physician chooses to give exacting information regarding a bite or sting, this entails her/him making a report entirely separate from the report kept in the patient medical records, requiring the physician to undertake additional work. This is usually unpaid and can pose an additional risk for a malpractice action.
-Even if the medical group or hospital has a policy of recording and reporting a bite or sting, the physician is not obligated to make this report if s/he deems it to be a potential breach of doctor-patient confidentiality. Only a peer review board may over-ride such a decision and that is very rarely done.
-Most physicians that make an effort to report a bite or sting only use generalities. They aren't arachnidologists, entomologists or herpitologists and they (usually) are loath to overstep their bounds.
-When a physician does make a report of a bite or sting it is her/his decision as to how the information is disseminated. That can be anything from a small morbidity report amongst tens of thousands of similar reports published every month to a major tabloid press release.
So, obviously, when we quote bite or sting statistics, even from highly qualified experts in the field, our information can be wildly inaccurate.
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