What is your birth date?

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JOhnH

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My wife gets awfully aggravated every time she goes to, or calls her doctors office and that is the first question they ask her, followed by asking her name. She usually ends up in an argument with an apologetic receptionist.

One time she asked the receptionist how many other patients shared the same birthdate? The answer was "dozens". Then she asked how many patients shared the same first and last name with her. The answer was "none". She asked if it wouldn't be just as easy to ask her name and then another question to confirm if there was ambiguity? The receptionist said yes, but she is not allowed to do that.

Personally, it doesn't bother me, but I do see my wife's point. You have to yell through the glass window to talk to them and everyone in the room can hear you. (That is the problem that bugs me the most).
Does anyone else feel that way?
 
As the electronic medical record systems get bigger it is easier to look up via dob. Just typing in a couple of digits instead of a possible lengthy name. We use Epic and its database will search anybody in the Epic system. I’m in PA and it will pull names from all over the country. Plus it make have to do with some privacy thing too. You used to just sign your name on a sign up sheet and they don’t allow that.
On the other hand I will admit there as been a general degradation of the type of staff and ppl that are working front desks in our offices in general. It is not user friendly anymore.
 
Weekend Warrior said:
Change doctors. Mine doesn’t do this.
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That would require changing insurance plans. It is a good insurance company, but this a widespread policy.
Besides, almost every doctor's office around here does the same thing. Even my ENT who still has a clip board where you sign in with your name. They still ask you for your birth date.
Maybe it's a "woman thing" (or at least "Older" women) but most women I know hate having to announce their birth date out loud in a crowd.
 
Names are easy to misspell. When they enter DOB the list of names with that date pops up and they can select the right one without having to spell it. Quicker that way.
 
Half Fast said:
Names are easy to misspell. When they enter DOB the list of names with that date pops up and they can select the right one without having to spell it. Quicker that way.
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Then they should ask for last 4 digits of SS or address # or something. Birthdate can be answered in several formats.

I understand WHY they do it. I just don't think it is right to **** off so many women. I might be a dinosaur, but I still feel like I need to protect my woman's feelings.

I used to own a veterinary hospital. I learned about asking for birthdate at a continuing ed seminar. I tried it for one day and got a bad reaction from clients, so I went back to names. The problems that caused was microscopic. Much better than pitting the receptionist against the client on the first question. 90% of our clients were women.
 
JOhnH said:
I understand WHY they do it. I just don't think it is right to **** off so many women. I might be a dinosaur, but I still feel like I need to protect my woman's feelings.
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Now THAT is about as reasonable an argument for healthcare check-in system overhaul if I've ever heard one.

Don't be ****ing off the women folk, particularly pregnant women folk.
 
Fiveslide said:
Now THAT is about as reasonable an argument for healthcare check-in system overhaul if I've ever heard one.

Don't be ****ing off the women folk, particularly pregnant women folk.
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Or the menopausal ones that might be sensitive about their age.
 
That's a pretty weird hang-up. It's a simple I.D. Confirmation/security question.

now, if they start asking me to tell them the length of my dick in a public setting, we might have a problem!
 
Every time I have bloodwork done, the phlebotomist asks for my birthday. It's just a check to make sure they're drawing blood from the right person. Every time I buy a bottle of wine at Safeway the checkout clerk asks for my birthday, and I'm 77 with grey hair, but they can get in trouble for selling booze to minors.

Anybody within earshot then knows how old I am. Big deal (not).
 
timwinters said:
That's a pretty weird hang-up. It's a simple I.D. Confirmation/security question.

now, if they start asking me to tell them the length of my dick in a public setting, we might have a problem!
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I never said women weren't weird. But I love them anyway.
 
Don't forget that many hospitals and doctor's offices are slaves of the software that they buy to manage their medical records. It's a big deal to change vendors or programs because a few people are sensitive about information that is transmitted privately and protected by HIPPA anyway. If you're worried that the conversation isn't private, just write it down on a piece of paper and hand it to the receptionist. You can do that before you leave the house, and if you're really worried just mark it "PRIVATE" at the top of the page.

I don't like going through the surgery process and being asked my birthday nine or ten different times, but I understand why they do. "And if it prevents one single person from mistaken identity it's worth it."
 
Doesn’t bother me or my wife, but I do see your wife’s point.
 
JOhnH said:
...Does anyone else feel that way?
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No.

As others have posted, keying computer system records off a fixed format numeric entry field such as DoB is likely to lead to fewer errors than trying to key off a free format text name field.

I'd be a lot more upset if they pulled the wrong patient records for me.

Tell your wife a great number of people in this world struggle with much more difficult issues than this every single day.
 
I refuse to allow them to photocopy my photo ID. No reason they need a copy. Same with places that want to scan it but won't tell me their retention/privacy policy.

It often takes a battle, but in then end they see my point.

Orwell was right.
 
write it on a piece of paper - or cell phone beforehand. or better yet, make them wait while you slowly type it on your cell phone and then show it to them.
 
I don't give a crap about giving my birth date, and I probably count as an "older woman". My doctors and the pharmacy always ask.
 
No one has mentioned the national requirement of using TWO OR MORE patient identifiers to verify that the CORRECT patient is being treated.

Further, providers, offices, and office staff have nothing to do with no longer being able to just “sign in” on a clipboard. You can thank PHI regs for that one. ;)
 
Don't worry. Soon the government will be issuing a federal ID card and your bar code will be tattooed on your neck to be scanned for identification purposes.....

I know this will happen because I saw it in a movie....
 
Zeldman said:
Don't worry. Soon the government will be issuing a federal ID card and your bar code will be tattooed on your neck to be scanned for identification purposes.....

I know this will happen because I saw it in a movie....
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Someone suggested RFID chips implanted under the skin. Great idea, unless you're worried about being murdered so some terrorist can be you . . .
 
Zeldman said:
Don't worry. Soon the government will be issuing a federal ID card and your bar code will be tattooed on your neck to be scanned for identification purposes.....

I know this will happen because I saw it in a movie....
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No need for the tattoo. The government will buy the facial recognition software that Amazon and Otha are pedaling.
 
JOhnH said:
Then they should ask for last 4 digits of SS or address # or something. Birthdate can be answered in several formats.

I understand WHY they do it. I just don't think it is right to **** off so many women. I might be a dinosaur, but I still feel like I need to protect my woman's feelings.

I used to own a veterinary hospital. I learned about asking for birthdate at a continuing ed seminar. I tried it for one day and got a bad reaction from clients, so I went back to names. The problems that caused was microscopic. Much better than pitting the receptionist against the client on the first question. 90% of our clients were women.
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Tell her to grow up and act her age. ;)
 
wsuffa said:
I refuse to allow them to photocopy my photo ID. No reason they need a copy. Same with places that want to scan it but won't tell me their retention/privacy policy.

It often takes a battle, but in then end they see my point.

Orwell was right.
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So was Don Quixote.
 
JOhnH said:
I understand WHY they do it. I just don't think it is right to **** off so many women. I might be a dinosaur, but I still feel like I need to protect my woman's feelings.
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Since you like your current health plan, it might just be easier to get a younger woman.
 
The receptionists at my doctors ask for the birth date and then name. I think that way they get all the names with the same birth date and can pick the one, that sounds most like the name that the person in front of them is - more or less clearly - telling them.

No big deal for me (female).
 
Ok, I agree with everyone that disagrees with me, uh, er, disagrees with my wife.

So far though, the only suggestion that might work, and I'm not going to do it, is to get a new wife. Ain't happening. That would just bring another whole set of problems. I will just have to put up with her.

I'd remove or lock the thread if I could, but I don't know how, so I'll just try to ignore it from now on. Maybe I will put my own thread on ignore.
 
dbahn said:
Don't forget that many hospitals and doctor's offices are slaves of the software that they buy to manage their medical records.
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Of course, it’s not just the medical field where people are slaves to the software.

I usually just ask to talk to the junior programmer in charge of establishing corporate policy.
 
An old boss had Feb 29 birth date.. 2/3 of the people he told this to either didn't believe him or thought it was an impossible date.. this would get frustrating for him but on the plus side he aged at roughly one-quarter of the rate as everyone else
 
At my workplace we are held to strict privacy standards nowadays by multiple sources. HIPAA, PCI, State/Federal regs., increasingly by the customers, and even now by the insurance companies for Cyber Security coverage. We spend a lot of time and money for training, documentation, etc., etc.

So when someone goes to a business, they may not give a crap personally, but should expect a sense/environment of privacy.

The lack of effort for many places is just sort of surprising to me in this day and age.
The last time I was sitting in a crowded waiting area. The nurse comes out, basically yells for Mrs. Campbell. (made up names)
Mrs. Campbell raises her hand, then the nurse approaches her in the waiting area, proceeds to ask very loudly, I guess assuming she could not hear well: "Are you George's wife? (Mrs. Campbell says yes) Is George still taking 50mg of Atenolol every day? I'm asking because his blood pressure is up again.."

I just sat there a bit in disbelief, laughing to myself. I saw a couple others chuckling....some never seemed to blink.

Is someone hearing another's birth date going to be a major issue? Likely not..but, is it appropriate to expect a company to establish processes/habits for their customers who may prefer privacy? Absolutely. It's just not that hard.
If I'm somewhere in public such as a pharmacy, etc., and they ask any information of me at the window, I slide my license to them without saying a word. They don't seem to mind, and some actually thank me.
 
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