Indiscreet medical secretaries

A number of people here mention experiences in childhood when their personal health information, including intimate matters, was discussed in public. Here is an adult experience:

I was seeing a urologist. His secretary would discuss issues (recall, this is a urologist) out loud. She sent me to a waiting area, and then, one minute later, thinking a bit too late, shouted from the end of the corridor "HEY MR JACANA HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE BATHROOM??".

This is a problem.

I know a doctor who said that he was hoping that with gdpr and competence courses the situation could change. But at the and, there are lots of structure in which secretaries or cleaners are not trained to talk about intimate and private topics.

I think they are not bad people. They may only need to receive formation

@lavementfille I'm unsure one needs some specific training to understand that one is not supposed to shout about people going to the toilet, especially if the implication is a digital rectal exam or transrectal ultrasound. This should be some kind of common decency.

I’ve often overheard the receptionist at our urologists office ask if they can provide a specimen at check in. Then buzz them into the back where the bathroom is and to return to the waiting area till the the doctor or nurse are ready for them. They don’t yell it out,but it doesn’t seem awkward. Same thing at the lab if one is needed.

I'm curious - do receptionists at gynecological practices openly ask patients about their periods? or worse, do so in a loud voice?

Thankfully never had it happen to me, but I've heard stories about it and am appalled at how someone can just do that. Don't they have any ounce of common sense and consideration for the patient? Are they just well-meaning but ignorant or straight up stupid or careless? It seems fairly obvious that it's not exactly the best way to go, that going to the patient and asking them as quietly as possible as to not put them in the spotlight especially for something as personal as things related to bodily fluids, would be a better thing, yet...

I sure hope that discretion and adherence to private health care information is respected at all times. I do sometimes wonder how the exam is described, especially if there is an erection that occurred.

Such possibilities made me so anxious sitting in my pediatrician’s waiting room. Or when leaving. That a nurse might casually refer to my exam out loud. It never happened but I was fearful every time I was there.

We've never had such an experience. Most personal and medical questions are asked in the room. But at specialists everyone knows why everyone else is possibly there.

We lived in a small town before HIPAA was enacted. One day an acquaintance of ours visited a physician and received a positive pregnancy test result. She wanted to share the good news with her hubby after work, maybe over supper, and then tell her family in her own way. Just as she got home the phone started ringing with friend after friend offering congratulations. The word was out all over town and she had not told a soul.

We have an old saying about communication methods: Telephone, Telegraph, tell Martha... Someone at the doctor's office just couldn't resist telling someone her gossip. She made one phone call and that's all it took. Even before HIPAA this was considered bad form.

This sort of thing rips a huge hole in the fabric of trust between patient and healthcare provider. So does anyone wonder why a patient may not be totally forthcoming with their providers?

No, I do the embarrassing. I have this terrible habit of going to check in and telling the reception desk exactly what I am going in about. My inside voice is loud.