I’d make it clear to anyone with privileged access to my private information that I want it to remain private, if they went against my expressed wishes they would have let me down and I would tell them so.
With family there can be an assumption that it’s fine. So I would understand the first time, but it would prompt me to clearly express my wishes to them.
No, you’re not overreacting. OK so your mum (or another responsible person) has to accompany you to the practice, but you are an adult of sound mind and as such your privacy must be respected. It’s the law. Your having a disability does not entitle anyone to ignore your wishes or treat you as if you’re a child.
It’s down to YOU to make this happen, though. Phone the dental practice and make them aware that in future you don’t wish any family members or other chaperones in the treatment room with you. It’s a matter of patient confidentiality. More importantly, next time you visit, INSIST on your mum staying in the waiting room. Don’t get into that treatment chair until she complies. Stand your ground and be prepared to make a thoroughly inconvenient scene about it if necessary.
They can’t disclose your medical info without your say so unless your mum is your listed as your carer. If she isn’t you can tell the doctor or dentist that it’s not okay to disclose such things and they have to listen if not they could be struck off for breaking patient confidentiality. Your mum sounds like my mum. Unfortunately family are like that but if you want o keep stuff to yourself professionals can’t disclose it but your mum can do what she wants. If she won’t listen to you there’s not much you can do. If it wasn’t for your disability you’d have more freedom. I don’t speak with my mum ever anymore.
As others has said, you obviously have the right to keep your medical info private, in future make it known that you wish to keep it that way and not brought up Infront of others. If it was me I would try and have a calm conversation with your mum and just explain how it made you feel and that you would like to keep it private in the future and it should be you to talk about it and no one else. And whether there your family or not the dentist had no right to disclose any of your medical info Infront of them.
With me I’ll talk to my siblings about my medical info, and there’s a lot of it and they help me a lot, as well as my hubby and mum. Without them helping me I don’t know where I’d be.
It’s your personal medical information so you are well within your rights to want it kept private. I echo others in asking for a note to be put on your file to state that your information is not to be shared without your express permission at the time.
That is a clear case of a breach of patient confidentiality as @carzy mentioned.
You have every right to be annoyed, no health care professional is allowed to discuss personal details with another family member unless in an extreme Emergency. I would certainly be contacting the practice manager to voice my concerns over a breach of confidentiality.
I’m wondering if the OP isn’t in the UK - here in the UK, particularly with Covid - I have a 5 and a 2 year old, and we all had check up recently - and we had to go en-mass as they wouldn’t allow both kids in the room at the same time. So my wife and younger child had to wait in the car until we emerged.
I’m with you completely on the confidentiality - my wife has a major problem with our doctors receptionist as she happily reads out all your results to the entire waiting room - albeit this doesn’t happen at the moment as your not allowed in the waiting room. But as an adult they shouldn’t really be that unprofessional as to disclose stuff like that to anyone else (family or not).
Not at all, we should have space and the choice to keep things private from others even if it is from family members. Your mum may not have an issue with sharing things but doesn’t mean your the same and that shows a lack of understanding on her behalf. Plus I can imagine it must feel like a part of your adult independence is being chipped away each time too?
I’d make a point to sit her down and say about this calmly and how it makes you feel. As a grownup your allowed to tell her this isn’t no longer acceptable.
Don’t know why your dentist would go over those things in the first place unless your medical history was effecting your teeth somehow, and even then I have a long-term health condition that can be effected by the health of my teeth and my dentist has never brought it up before I’d do as others have suggested, sit her down and tell her how you’re feeling I don’t quite remember what you said your disability is (as I know you’ve mentioned it in other threads a bit), but is there not a way to get an aid for the appointments, as quite a few GPs and other places offer them to help during visits (though I also get if you want the person to be someone you know) I think she just wants to keep him up-to-date maybe in case something happens to you because of your condition and he isn’t blindsided, but I agree with you that if you want it kept confidential that she should respect that as you’re an adult
A weird situation really. My dentist has never gone through my medical history unless is related to my teeth.
At 20 could you not take control of booking your own appointments now. You could even swap dentists.
If you decide to keep the situation as it is though, definately phone and ask that you’re seen separately. I’m very close to my family and they know all my medical history but I totally understand if it’s not something you want to share.
I’m thinking that the poster is outside of the UK? As I’ve never heard of a dentist bringing up medical history, none of mine have and I’ve seen many trying to find the perfect one. Then there’s the restrictions when we go to the dentist they have a system and certainly wouldn’t have others in the room, yes if you need a carer but nobody else. So I’m very surprised that this happened.
It’s worth looking into getting another care aid so you’ve got privacy with your mom not keeping things confidential, that would infuriate me but hey family have a nack at doing so.
Definitely sort out appointments yourself and look at getting outside help if your mom is chatting your business when you don’t want her to
Thar’s awful @sharbur! Are you in the UK? Doctors and other medical professionals are not allowed to discuss medical history without your clear consent, even if you allowed it before, they still have to ask for your permission. I have taken my Mum with me before because I needed support but I had to give consent for this at the beginning of the appointment and I asked that no other medical details were discussed other than the one that I needed to talk about. You don’t say why you need your Mum to come with you but could she not wait for you in the waiting room? You can ask to have a chaperone such as another nurse from the practice if that would be more appropriate? You may have to request this in advance to be sure that someone was available.
I echo what everyone else has said; contact your dental practice and ask them not to do this again; disability or not, your medical history is private and confidential. I would contact any other medical professionals that you have regular contact with such as your GP to put your request on your notes. Have you given consent in the past which might have been understood to apply for the foreseeable future? If you were not asked for your permission you are within your rights to make a complaint. I’m sorry you had to go through this, it’s really not OK xx
It’s not unusual for dentists to run through your medical history, they need to know if you are on any medication which might affect your teeth, gums or interfere with any treatment they give you. I have medical conditions which affect my teeth and gums and it’s not something that you would think would be related! I live in the UK
I just realised this is from 10 days ago! Not sure how I missed it, sorry!
I used to work with a couple of people who treated the generous sick pay scheme the company offered as an extension of the also generous annual leave and always made sure they took every day they were entitled to sick or not.
I’ve worked with people like that too, saw days of sick as some kind of entitlement. Bit controversial, not offense intended to anyone, but at my place the edited. They will conveniently have a sick day before the school fête or Christmas play, but forget they’ve spent the last fortnight moaning about how much they’ve got to do for the event. Also worked with one women who only ever had sick days during school holidays instead of using up annual leave.
Well to be fair, @mikeormick, sick leave is usually incorporated as part of whatever EBA you sign up to, therefore it’s as much an “entitlement” as your pay rate or any other perk your union has fought and won for you (such as company car, RDOs, bonuses etc.).
Now, it’s how that entitlement is used, or moreover MISused, that defines that person, and shouldn’t reflect on how sick leave is interpreted. We all get sick (especially now with that Damn Virus floating around) and we all have bills to pay; if some people choose to abuse the sick leave entitlements, then there will be a price to pay for that later when they really are sick but don’t have any leave to cover it.
@Gazza_64 just really busy at the minute, I work quite a lot normally and do put the hours in but not quite like this all the time! Couple of months and it’ll level itself out again! My Job would be a lot easier if people just did what they say they’d do! I don’t expect blood sweat and tears from people fir my business, that’s for me to do!! I do expect people to do what they say they will though and be where they say they’ll be snd at the time they say! I hate people being late! It just doesn’t sit right with me!had a lad work late last night and came in late tonight as he was tired! The 2 things cancel each other out! Why should I pay him overtime rate for last night and dock his regular rate for hours missed thismorning? Somthing wrong there I’ll stop whinging anyway, kinda off the subject there