GPs asking my occupation

[Crossastwosticks]

In the last 2 months I've visited the GP four times. I've had a different doctor each time and they have all asked what I do for a living.
AIBU for thinking that's a bit strange?

[RhodaBorrocks]

I didn't mean to imply they sell it sorry. No it's income

I know you didn't, but the amount of times people think this when I'm training and talk about data generating income for the trust is ridiculous. Before I can explain, someone always says "WHAT?! Do we sell it on?! I didn't know THAT!" Many admin staff don't realise we can lose thousands just from doing something like accidentally entering the wrong date of admission.

That's why it's a bit exasperation get if patients get cross being asked questions because they were asked the same ones in AE or by a nurse etc..

You do realise that hospitals and GPs use completely different clinical IT systems, don't you?

There is the nationally networked Spine which can be used to identify patients, but it only holds basic details such as name, dob, address, registered GP, NHS number etc.

Your summary care record (SCR) holds a bit more info, but is only as good as the person who updates it (which is usually your GP).

But the hospital and GP will still use different systems. Many still do paper referrals, although some use emails or online e-referrals now too. So you will get asked to clarify/confirm things when you go to different places because they don't share all the info on a referral. I get worried when they don't ask, because things can change significantly very quickly.

With admin staff, there is only so much info they can get off a referral. They don't usually contain things like Ethnicity, marital status, occupation or religion. For that reason, at my trust we consider them as things to be asked when you check in for an appointment. As well as double checking all your other details are still the same. You'd be surprised at the number of people who have moved, but still give their old address when asked and then complain when their appointment letters are sent to the old address! Recently someone actually said "I just thought you were being nosey." Give me strength!!!

LetsJungly: Plus we have to as its a question and our paperwork gets audited!

YY to that! And a for you from one of the people doing the auditing!!!

[Clarinet1]

Religion can be important for quite a range of treatments - for example my brother was asked semi-seriously whether he was a hindu because he was due to have cartiledge transplanted which was of bovine origin and might not have been acceptable to a hindu.

[LetsJunglyJumpToIt]

Knowing someone's religion can be particularly important in hospital if you need a visit from the chaplain or want to visit the prayer room etc. We always ask it.

Plus we have to as its a question and our paperwork gets audited!

[Kenduskeag]

If you're so private you don't want to tell a doctor your job, how on earth are you going to tell them about arse warts or something?

[Helenluvsrob]

It's actually hugely relevant to many things. Te middle clas stable NM population wont change jobs often but lots of people change really often.

Some people have huge interesting and relevant changes - eg Mr Smith may have been a secondary teacher and is now a landscape gardener with back pain. Saves all the fun sherlock stull " Mr smith I see you have dirt beneath your nails, I assume you no longer concentrate on english literature?" (yeah OK I'd mostly use more basic detective skills " Your fleece says Sminths landscape gardening are the best" so I assume you are no longer teaching?").

Useful to know the career drivers so you can get really twitched about their abnormal liver function. do you want me missing a chap who drives across europe weekly but may do it under the influence of alcogol?

Not in work- interesting- is it your health that stops you and can we help that?

And yes anyone who is a "dr" of any sort we need to know the details. My DD will one day be a doctor, but of ancient history, so she needs everything explaining in the same way as if she worked in sainsburys- no assumptions to be made at all. We have university staff. I have given the clinical chemistry professor his results and said " I'm happy with those, X and Y are a bit out but not important, are you happy too?" , but if I was discussing his ankle Xray it'd be a very different consultation .And GPs- they are the worst :)

[FeralBeryl]

I once had an allergy consultant I was seeing with my son ask me what my profession was. I wondered what that had to do with my son's allergies....

If you worked with horses etc, your son could suffer terribly if he had a sensitivity to horse hair when you came home.
Or certain foodstuffs if you worked in a factory producing them.
Lots of people have awful nut allergies from airborne particles.
Perfectly reasonable

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

I once had an allergy consultant I was seeing with my son ask me what my profession was. I wondered what that had to do with my son's allergies....

[IWantAnotherBaby]

If you are a solicitor or journalist they get really worried.

No, we really don't. Why on earth would we?

It can be very relevant, not because of "stress" but because of a million possible reasons like, for example, you have a job which involves standing for 8 hours, and have plantar fasciitis, or you are constantly exhausted and are working in 3 jobs...

It also helps us to understand the social context of an illness; eg very heavy periods may be no big deal if you work from home, but severely affect your work as a swimming pool lifeguard... or whatever.

It may not matter at all, but sometimes it can be very relevant.

[Rinceoir]

Well I would never assume that a Jehovah's Witness will automatically refuse blood products, but I would be likely to prepare for a longer conversation about it. I would also be able to ask if they wanted a transfusion outside of visiting hours only for example as they may not want a family member to know they accepted blood products.

As regards to stress I will just ask someone if work/home is stressful if I'm concerned that's a contributory factor.

Ethnicity can be important when considering certain illnesses- for example an Irish person presenting with diabetes and joint pain in their 40s or early 50s is far more likely to have haemochromatosis than someone of a different background.

Depending on medical suspicions we may have to ask people if they see things that are not there, if their libido has changed, if their fingers/feet have grown and if they have old photos we can look at, if they are clumsy in the morning or if alcohol causes/allieviates certain symptoms. I will always explain why I'm asking such things but I'm sure that the patients often go home thinking that I was being very odd.

[ShitShoveller]

I would always expect the Dr to ask about occupation, mine carries specific risks that the general public aren't exposed to so if they didn't I would mention it. Lol (inappropriately) at the farmers with serious injuries, I'm glad to read that's an acknowledged thing, they really are something else. It's a joke here that the farm staff have to be half dead to be off work and they're not even 'real' farmers.

[TheCatCushion]

It is a relevant question - sitting at a desk could exacerbate back problems
Ear problems if you work in a loud environment
Certain jobs are more prone to stress

Agree also that religion is important - blood products etc.

It is about painting an entire picture of what is causing and issue and how to treat it

[NotBadConsidering]

MissDuke

I didn't suggest it as the only screening question I just pointed out how religion can be relevant to medical professionals, particularly a spinal surgeon in the example given by that particular poster.

[KitKat1985]

Occupation is often highly relevant for a GP to know. E.G certain professions have a higher risk of back problems. Other professions have a higher risk of working under high levels of stress. Office based jobs tend to put people at higher risk of RSI injuries. Work with animals and chemicals can be a trigger for breathing problems. Etc, etc.

And of course it makes sense for a GP to check occupational status at each appointment even if you recorded it on your registration form. Firstly I'm sure most GPs don't have time in a 10-minute appointment window to read every detail in your medical record. Secondly people's occupational statuses can change.

The only time I've ever been miffed at this is when I visited the practice nurse for a routine health issue and she had to fill out a form which asked (amongst other things) my occupation. I'd gone to the appointment with DD as I couldn't get childcare and she just wrote 'SAHM' on the form without even asking me, even though I'm actually full-time employed.

[NotBadConsidering]

Badbadbunny

I don't think anything you said is that unusual to me really, that's what I personally would assume an accountant's job to be like. And it didn't take you long to point it out should someone assume different.

If you'd said you were an accountant who worked with asbestos daily, now that would different.

[MissDuke]

Religion is important in terms of making sure you're not a Jehovah's Witness. Blood transfusions could be very relevant in spinal surgery

That would actually be a very poor way of determining whether someone would receive blood products - I always ask in an open way 'Would you have any objection to receiving blood products in an emergency'. Assumptions should never be made based on religion and some people who aren't Jehovah still don't want blood products.

I would say it was more likely just paperwork, everyone gets asked in case they want a chaplain to visit.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"That's why it's a bit exasperation get if patients get cross being asked questions because they were asked the same ones in AE or by a nurse etc.."

You also get asked questions you've already answered to that particular doctor. I realise they can't remember it all, but when you only have 10 minutes with the GP you don't want to waste time telling them things they already know and not have any time to tell them why you're there this time.

[shinynewusername]

They never consider stress as that seems to be the sole preserve of teachers and healthcare professionals

Yes, we never ever see or treat anyone other than teachers & HCPs for stress. And of course GPs know nothing about running a small business - it's not like we do this ourselves

[Badbadbunny]

But it can actually be counter-productive if the GP makes assumptions based on your occupation. They will have their own preconceived ideas about occupations which may sometimes be very wrong.

For example, I'm an accountant. Yes, the GPs and practice nurses will usually ask for my occupation. Then they make wildly wrong assumptions. Their usual response is sedentary job, sat down all day. Completely wrong - I walk to walk and have a standing desk, so barely sit down at all. They never consider stress as that seems to be the sole preserve of teachers and healthcare professionals - apparently no-one else gets stressed, but in reality, I am under enormous stress of running my own business, dealing with ever changing tax/company laws, deadlines, etc. So, them knowing my profession is pretty useless really as I have to tell them of the reality of the situation which goes against their preconceptions!

[TopazBurns]

I got asked my ethnicity by the nurse taking my blood last week at GP's surgery. She was very tactful & asked if I minded telling her. I didn't mind, but it felt strange & was the first time I'd been asked that at the GP's (I've been asked on forms that I fill in, but not in person iyswim)

I'm often asked what my job is, I understand why they might need that info.

[shovetheholly]

It's totally standard and absolutely relevant to your diagnosis. If you work with chemicals of any kind, for instance, a certain set of symptoms might 'mean' something potentially very different from the same set in someone who doesn't. If you are suffering physical pain, and you do a very physical job, that would also be relevant. Occupation and health are connected in all sorts of ways!

I get asked it all the time because I have a PhD, and they want to find out whether I am a medical doctor so they know how to pitch the explanation.

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

I recall writing it on the form when I signed up. It would only irk me in the context of their failure to read my notes. "sweetly patient smile - oh dear didn't I write that on the registration form? Would you mind awfully checking to see for me - of course I did, there you go - litigation lawyer"

And I am sure they'd be thinking. 'i wonder how does she fit in the litigation work around her busy schedule of being a full-time prat'.

Given that people are often registered at the same GP for many years (since infancy in some cases) and years may have elapsed between their last visit, there's a very good chance their job will have changed in the intervening years.

By way of illustration, I've been registered with the same GP for eight years. I've only been twice. When I registered I was unemployed. Last time I visited I was a museum attendant, now I work at a university. All three carry very different health risks and the Doctor would have no idea unless s/he asked me.

[NightNightBadger19962]

Bet the practice manager is trying to improve the date on their patient records for some reason and has got them to all make sure they ask every time.

[shinynewusername]

I recall writing it on the form when I signed up. It would only irk me in the context of their failure to read my notes. "sweetly patient smile - oh dear didn't I write that on the registration form? Would you mind awfully checking to see for me - of course I did, there you go - litigation lawyer"

Oh do fuck off. In the 10 minutes per appointment I get as a GP, which includes the time it takes for patients to walk up from the waiting room and writing up their notes at the end, of course I have time to read what they wrote on their registration form, often several decades earlier. And of course no one ever changes jobs.

[MaidOfStars]

I use the title 'Dr' and always get asked by any health care professional what I do. I think they're trying to check I'm not a medic

My optometrist is genuinely interested in my work though (one of my research strands is genetic eye disease). His notes on me contain stuff that isn't at all relevant to my eye care at all!

[NotBadConsidering]

Discobabe

I always ask parents. It's not often relevant but can be. Examples:

Behavioural or sleep problems: does a parent work long hours? Shifts? Are they not around at important times of day? Does one parent do it all? You only have read a day of MN threads to realise the impact of parents' work on behaviour.

If a child sees a paediatrician with learning issues their parents' occupation and school history can give an initial idea about their level of functioning.

Physical problems: less relevant but allergies/asthma etc could be triggered by various things brought home eg animal dander.
Frequent respiratory infections: does the child go to day care? Does it impact your work when the child gets sick and can't go to day care? If your child needs time off from day care to reduce the exposure to viruses and allow some recovery how feasible is that with your work?

Just some examples.