Is it normal for GP records to flash up your job title?

[Onepac]

Just been for bloods and noticed on the screen as I walked in that my records had a front page notice of “patient is a registered nurse”

Now the poor young HCA that was taking my bloods was a nervous wreck and admitted that she’d freaked out as soon as she saw I was a nurse. My arm turned blue with the length of time the tourniquet was on and I had to ask her to take it off as my hand had gone dead!! This made her even more nervous and after numerous attempts at taking my blood she got it but it’s left a ginormous bruise and my hand is still hurting an hour later.

Why does it say on my records that I’m a nurse?? Why is it relevant?

My DSIS had her profession underlined three times in her maternity notes (lawyer). Probably for different reasons!

It seems like code for ‘this one is special, don’t fuck it up’ which is great if you are a nurse but not ideal if you’re not.

Many of the job titles I’ve had wouldn’t be understood by someone outside my industry so they’d have no idea about the impact on my health. It seems a bit crap if it only applies to people with very straightforward jobs.

It doesn't have be about 'care relating to her profession' though - it could also help the clinician with their diagnosis. For example, it could potentially be an indicator that the patient has a stressful job and might work irregular hours, which can be contributing factors to health issues, so it's useful for that information to be there as a prompt for the GP to ask about those things early on. Doctors' notes include all sorts of things, including comments on the patient's demeanour, their level of medical knowledge, how resistant they are to taking prescribed medication etc. It's not like collecting personal data for marketing purposes where there are clear rules about what you can and can't keep on file; it's a judgement call for the GP to decide if it's relevant.

I know that my GP once included something in my medical notes about my job at the time - nothing to do with healthcare, but it was a job that meant I was frequently exposed to some really grim information and images. The condition I was seeing him for didn't affect my ability to do my job (and in fact was not caused by it) but my job could have been an exacerbating factor and when the issue recurred a few years later my GP (a different one) did notice it on my file and asked me if I was still working in that role because he felt it could be potentially relevant.

(Straightforward as in people generally know what the role involves, not straightforward as in easy)

I have been asked what I do by the dentist and doctor in the context of grinding my teeth at night and workplace stress.

@Sunshinenrain if you had Health professionals visit you at home your dog, it's size and behaviour would be the first thing seen opening your record.

It flashes up on mine and my sons GP notes that I am an HCP! I think to warn them 😂

@Sunshinenrain the large dog message would potentially be added by someone who'd done a visit and wanted to alert other colleagues for future visits.

All the messages of this nature are things that have been noted in the course of treating someone that might be useful for future care. It's not information that we automatically know, IYSWIM.

JFC.

More appropriate treatment?

No talked down to?

That should be bloody standard!

I work in a GP practice, the records will usually state somewhere within consultations or the wider coding of the record what a patient's job title is if they are work in a clinical role. We don't add 'alerts' in our practice records for this however I know other local practices do that as standard in theirs. So it depends on the practice's policy/approach to this but it's very common, yes.

I worked in a small community where everyone knew everyone so reception would warn on notes if eg someone's partner had passed away so we didn't put our foot in it asking how everything had been , but could pass on our condolences.
Pop up notes would be put on if a wedding was coming up , what football team patient supported , turn down radio (hearing difficulties , preference ) , people who preferred to be addressed by first name , people who were carers etc etc . It all helped to put people at ease and give most appropriate care .

Patients job IS highly relevant , its a basic question that you will normally get asked .if you see a patient who is employed at the same trust you work at this may also have specific issues eg. where mental health is concerned, which is why nhs staff are sometimes entitled to be offered care under a different trust than the one where they’d normally be treated at. Having had an itu patient who was a consultant at the trust I worked at,it was highly relevant that I knew his profession when I stated explaining things!!

Oh ok yes that makes sense.

So if they find something out they make a note of it if it’s relevant.

Occupational factors are relevant to health status and diagnostic strategies and general medical advice and treatment. Leptospirosis is often not diagnosed unless occupation is known, for example, because is is rare and presents very similar to other conditions.
Occupational environmental exposure is very relevant for numerous diseases

I'm a nurse but never seen it as an alert on my notes.

As others have said, it’s for recording things that help inform the conversations you have with HCPs.

E.g. A child whose mother is a GP will have Mother is a GP flash up on their notes.

Why should a health professional get "more appropriate treatment" than say, a construction worker, or someone who is unemployed. Seems a little unfair.

My job was mentioned in a referral letter once. I asked a doctor friend why.
She said partly because they then know if you do manual labour etc but also so they can gauge your understanding.
I'm not a medic but it's another professional job. I was told they'll assume i research everything and talk to me as a competent adult (that feels like it might be a bit generous at times but imposter syndrome and all that).

Is that a full or part time role?

I used to have to tell them.i worked for myself and didn't want a sick note, I just wanted to be no ill.

My Opticians has noted my job...

@Sunshinenrain well in our case, which may be different to the nhs, it would be just if it came up in consult. For example I might call mrs x and say that your dog has this test result which means xyz. She will then say actually I'm a consultant haematologist and I'll say ok I'll note it down so that I'm future discussions we're using medical terminology (eg he's azotaemic rather than he's got elevated kidney readings)

How patronising though. My degree-educated husband chose to go into a trade. He'd as intelligent as all the doctors in my family and as capable of researching things as all of us with professional jobs.

I’m not sure on my actual medical records but the most frequently remarked upon things when I have one of my miscarriages was ‘oh, you’re a solicitor…!’. A double whammy when my DH pipes up that he is too 🤣

I have to say we always seem to get really good service when they notice we are both solicitors! I assume they think we will sue when we don't even practise that area of law.

@Spirallingdownwards same! I wouldn’t have a clue, but I suppose we have immediate access to people who do…!