Patients want to trust their provider to not make mistakes and to not lie to them. Unfortunately, when it comes to guns, medical organizations have not been living up to that expectation. Medical associations have been insinuating an anti-gun political agenda into the patient-doctor relationship for decades. Patients are routinely being asked about gun ownership. Worse, many physicians commit boundary violations by pressing anti-gun messages on patients.
Frankly, medicine has an institutional bias against guns. To counter this, DRGO has launched 2Adoc.com, a referral service that will connect patients with healthcare providers who respect their second amendment rights and who won’t engage in anti-gun activism in the patient exam room.
In February of 2017, the 11th circuit court struck down key provisions of Florida’s Firearm Owners’ Privacy Act in the Wollschlaeger vs. Governor of Florida case (commonly termed “Docs vs. Glocks”). That ruling gives uninformed and anti-gun doctors legal cover to abuse the doctor-patient relationship to further a political agenda.
This was an unfortunate conclusion to a nearly decade-long saga. In 2010, Amber Ullman and her daughter were terminated from their pediatrician’s practice for refusing to tell the pediatrician whether she had a gun in her home on the grounds of privacy. Many other such instances had occurred, leading to the creation of Florida’s Firearm Owners’ Privacy Act.
This issue is a continuing nationwide problem. The case of my 90 year old, bed-ridden mother-in-law who lives in a nursing home in Los Angeles illustrates the extent of the problem: Just recently, she was taken to an off-site specialist consultation. The paperwork my wife had to fill out included questions about the presence of firearms in the home.
Personally, I would prefer that there are firearms in the nursing home where my mother-in-law stays. The patients and and their caretakers are vulnerable soft targets. That aside, what in the name of all that is sane does the question about firearms ownership have to do with an evaluation of a feeding tube in a 90 year old, non-ambulatory nursing home resident? That question is absolutely irrelevant to her care and not warranted by her history and clinical picture.
As demonstrated in a recent study from Jane Garbutt, MB published in the Journal of Pediatrics, a physician’s opinion on non-medical matters can hold a lot of sway with patients. Gun owners are unlikely to follow the advice of physicians who urge them to get rid of their guns. People who are not gun owners (and, thus, less likely aware of concerns over the validity of doctors advising about guns) are more likely to follow their doctors’ advice. The ramification of that happening on a national scale is concerning to those who care about the Bill of Rights.
DRGO believes that a patient’s gun ownership is none of their healthcare provider’s business. Only in exceptional cases, where specific clinical circumstances warrant, should a healthcare provider inquire about gun ownership or discuss any aspects of ownership.
In response to a growing number of inquiries to DRGO for recommendations of healthcare professionals who respect patient privacy and the right to keep and bear arms, DRGO conceived 2Adoc.com as a way to help patients find healthcare providers who respect their constitutional rights.
Here, then, is an explanation of how the directory and referral service will work:
What will 2Adoc.com do?
Free of charge to provider and patient, the service will provide, upon request, contact information for providers (in a requested specialty and location) who have signed up for the directory.
Who can/should sign up with 2Adoc.com?
All healthcare providers – medical doctors, osteopaths, dentists, chiropractors, psychotherapists, psychologists, counselors, optometrists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, etc – who respect their patients’s right to privacy and to keep and bear arms are encouraged to sign up.
What benefit does 2Adoc.com bring?
The service will allow patients to find healthcare providers who won’t badger them or penalize them for owning firearms.
The service will allow providers to add patients to their practice.What will 2Adoc.com not do?
The directory will not be published online or anywhere else.
The service will not verify provider credentials and licensing.
The service will not screen potential patients in any manner.
A full disclaimer is available at 2Adoc.com
DRGO invites all healthcare providers who respect Second Amendment rights to join 2Adoc.com . We hope soon to start connecting patients and providers.
Arthur Z Przebinda, MD is an imaging specialist in Southern California. He advocates for the Second Amendment in his state and nationally and since 2017 serves as DRGO’s Project Director.
This post originally appeared at drgo.us and is reprinted here with permission.
As I have said before, when physicians openly discuss with patients their horrible record of physician medical mistakes leading to death (at least 100,000 or more a year) then they can entertain the idea of gun related deaths. Physician heal thyself.
The documented deaths begin at 225k/yearly, and go up depending on what you’re sourcing. Very conservatively the 3rd leading cause of death in the US.
As I have said before, when physicians openly discuss with patients their horrible record of physician medical mistakes leading to death (at least 100,000 or more a year) then they can entertain the idea of gun related deaths. Physician heal thyself.
As regulatory compliance and administrative overhead is forcing more and more independent practices to sell to hospital systems will it even be possible to find a physician that still has much say in how the practice is run? Large health systems like uniformity and don’t like employed physicians going rouge. The new generation of physicians have never worked in anything other than an employed state.
Actually what’s funny is my pediatrician asked me some safety related questions about how we were with our son. They were if he was riding his bike with a helmet and if he was wearing a seat belt consistently. Statistically far more relevant than virtually anything pertinent to gun ownership.
Just recently, she was taken to an off-site specialist consultation. The paperwork my wife had to fill out included questions…
…which demonstrated the specialist was not someone your wife should have allowed anywhere near your mother in law.
Doctors Against Civil Rights should be boycotted out of business.
Geez, my doc carries a Hi-Power he sent off to Nighthawk to have tricked out. Truly a drool worthy piece of art.
I read this as Hi-Point the first time. Then I read it again.
I did too. Lol. I was getting ready to question his provider.
This is good. I’m not too worried about getting hassled about guns itself, but it would be good to know I’ve got a doctor with the right attitude, i.e. focused on what they can do medically. Same reason I avoid buisiness with people who can’t keep their religion if any under control.
I on’t go to Dentists or Proctologists names Achmed.
First find a physician that openly questions vaccine safety and efficacy. Go from there.
Dr, Nick Rivera at your service!
This is great. My doc is retiring in two years, so I’ll be looking forward to using this service.
I’d tell the doctor that I’d be happy to discuss guns with him just as soon as we discuss washing his hands.
As well you should. You are more likely to die from hospital acquired infections than your firearms. 99,000 deaths from hospital acquired infections compared to 10,000 gun homicide deaths.
Our son’s pediatrician did the “traditional” safety questions (bike helmets, pads for scooter and skateboard, seatbelts, smoking in the home) at the first visit establishing care. He then stated: “I know you moved here from California, you are aware that nearly everyone in Alaska has guns right? Have you taught him about firearms safety?”. I almost gave him a hug. Told him my son was covered in that area. He then encouraged us to join the local archery and shooting clubs. Not all doctors are rabid leftists.
I could use a referral to an optometrist.
When I ask my new age, lefty optometrist for a new script for my Decot HyWyds, she gets very nervious.
Geez, I just want to be able to see my front sight clearly.
I will be saving this link. I am scheduled to be done with my nurse practitioner school in spring of ’19. I am glad something like this can connect like minded people.
It’s easy to remember:
2Adoc.com
That will take you to our site and once we have enough providers we will open up a patient inquiry form.
Arthur Z Przebinda, MD
Project Director
DRGO
Just another dues collecting club. $35 per year for anybody even remotely in the medical field. Some of you guys will fall for anything “guns”.
Money fuels an organization.
Dues are optional.
Many have donated much more than $35
Everyone running and contributing to DRGO is an unpaid volunteer – from the directors to the regular blog writers and the people who moderate our social media.
The directory is free to providers and patients.
What is your point, exactly?
Arthur Z Przebinda, MD
Project Director
DRGO
Dr. Przebinda……just look at what his screen name is. Nuff said? 😉
—Arthur Z Przebinda, MD is an imaging specialist in Southern California. He advocates for the Second Amendment in his state and nationally and since 2017 serves as DRGO’s Project Director.
https://drgo.us/about/authors-and-contributors/
My point is:
The question of whether a physician is a 2A supporter is so far down on my list of criteria in what is important in choosing a provider is laughable. And attempting to artificially inflate the 2A aspect in a physician’s skill set is simply marketing.
Absolutely agree.
Guess you have a reading comprehension problem, as there is no charge for the medical professional or the patient. It states that in the article as well as the FAQ on the site itself. Do you work for CNN? 😏
Hi all, It’s my first time posting, great site, been lurking for a year and finally decided to post.
Great Article and great service. As a medical student and firearm enthusiast, this interests me greatly.
Now for my b****ing…
I understand that the physician-patient relationship is sacred and should never be misused or abused (like by blatantly pushing a particular political agenda), I get that. However, there absolutely are instances where it is indicated to inquire about firearms because it has huge implications in the quality of healthcare provided by the physician.
To be fair, the article does minimally touch on this when it states “Only in exceptional cases, where specific clinical circumstances warrant, should a healthcare provider inquire about gun ownership or discuss any aspects of ownership.”
Still, this really should be explained further with examples such as if the patient (or someone in the patient’s household) has homicidal or suicidal ideations, if a patient does not feel safe in her (or his) household because of an abusive partner, etc. Effective healthcare extends well beyond adjusting blood pressure meds or responding to emergencies, it involves a much wider scope of a patient’s life. Also, the answer to these questions could cause a physician to consider carrying while on duty to protect his/her staff and other patients.
I get the whole “don’t tread on me” mentality, and I agree with it to a large extent, but 15% said they’d be offended by the advice of their pediatrician not to have guns in the household?! We’re better than that. That should be 0%. If patients are too touchy on this subject, it might cause physicians to steer away from this subject entirely, compromising the quality of healthcare. Rather than be “offended”, those patients should use the opportunity to educate the pediatrician that firearms actually ‘can’ be safely secured while still being accessible. This way we all win.
You will find your outlook in practice changes after a few years in actual practice, if you are going in to primary care. I think after the 1000th time counseling someone on weight loss and knowing they are going to ignore it completely you realize preventative medicine counseling is useless and your time can be better spent elsewhere. If someone wants to lose weight you can give them advice and have a reasonable assumption that they will listen. But doing it presumptively never works. Much like any other form of triage, you will find yourself prioritizing time in your practice for things that get results.
The AAP guidelines for firearms is to keep them locked in a separate location from the ammo. So if someone breaks in you have to open two safes to defend yourself, useless and made by people who don’t understand the subject they are preaching on. If someone asks me about safe gun storage I’ll wax eloquent about the safes I’ve owned and which work better. But I no longer bring the subject up unless asked, and it saves me loads of time in my practice.
Physicians should steer away from this subject entirely. It’s no ones business who exercises what individual rights. Your profession is being used as foot soldiers to gather information for interests that want nothing more than to incrase their control over the average person. Good luck in practice.
Children, even more than adults, are seriously over medicalized these days. Most people have lost sight of the fact that their health and safety (and that of their children) is their own responsibility, not that of the doctors. People see a doctor for the damnedest stupid things, and subject their children to this terribly dangerous world view constantly.
If you think about it, most people seem to make all kinds of idiotic choices that damage their health, and then expect doctors to fix it somehow – usually with little or no effort on their part except maybe taking some pills. Really stupid. True accidents are rare in comparison. Doctors are terrific at surgery and the like, but dealing with human disease and stupidity is not going too well.
My youngest son is now 48 years old. He and his older brother almost never saw a doctor when they lived at home. We went to have bad cuts sewn up a few times, but I don’t remember taking them otherwise. They never even saw a “pediatrician.” They never had “colds” or such, and are just as healthy now as then. I have not seen a doctor in more than 10 years, and I’m 71 years old now. No major medical problems and I don’t take any of their damned pills. I take care of myself, and would only go to a doctor if I was leaking something significantly or broke something I couldn’t cope with.
So, what has all this to do with guns? If you see your doctor as somehow responsible for your health and happiness… I guess the questions about guns are fair game. Otherwise, tell him/her to get on with sewing up the wound and shut up about the rest of it. Tell them you’ll take care of safety for yourself and your children, as have countless generations before. OF COURSE you might not choose well or wisely, and you are certainly free to consult anyone you wish. It’s just that nobody has any right to impose it on anyone else.
As a provider, as well as a consumer, of medical care; I have never once been asked to ask about guns nor have been asked about guns in my household.
I’m not saying it’s happening, I see it in discharge paperwork from the hospitals (usual blurb about guns in the home increase risk, lock them up seperate from ammo, etc). But I’ve never seen it personally.
Nassau County NY. The pistol and licensing division wants to take my carry permit away since Governor Cuomo slipped in the SAFE ACT They said “only cops should have guns” and “my tax return doesn’t show enough income, not carrying enough cash, you’ve never been robbed” NO I’ve never been robbed by a patient, but the jeweler next door to me has and the bank 5 doors down has. No speeding tickets, no irrational behavior in 23 years of having my pistol permit. ” You don’t need it, you can keep your target permit” The left is out of control. I have had some scary people in my office. AND they are violating my 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS ! I WILL BE SUING THEM AND ALREADY CONTACTED A LAWYER TO START AN ARTICLE 78. STAY TUNED
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