Mahlers
April 20, 2007
Hi,
The following is after some intense deep thought in regards to laws within
the USA pertaining medical records and disclosure, following the Virginia
Tech University Massacre, April 15, 2007, Blacksburg Virginia.
"Unbiased & Unselfish Opinion"
The subject of discussion brings up some precarious potential for
"overblownism" - not what you might at first expect.
Some proponents are favorable for disclosure of medical records to law
enforcement at all levels, especially regarding weapons ownership.
I'm okay with that, so long as a: the gun store owner only gets a "yes" or
"no". Nothing more, nothing less.
b: Only top level authorities know of critical private information. I
suppose a "Homeland Security" database and hired operations group is in the
makings, soon available for such a said situation. Be there BATF, FBI,
federal forensic psychologists and specially assigned State Police
Detectives, those only though. Outside that elite and privy, sworn to
secrecy and privacy federal and state employees, nobody gets to know
anything, unless specifically requested by the citizen of concern, only.
In regards to further disclosure of health records, some proponents suggest
allowing the medical community, specifically the mental health community be
allowed shared access about a persons mental health to law enforcement
authorities to some extent. That already exists. Believe me, there is a
database, instantly useable between even local police within the USA already
in use.
The qualm I have with all this? When information as such becomes available
from medical and or law enforcement personnel to "friends" or "concerned
citizens" that leaves a gaping uncloseable hole to private information that
can and will be used against a person regarding personal relationships, job
security, ability to travel, to hold public office, basically, it's opening
up a Pandora's box for massive personal scrutiny, brought on by competition,
jealousy, basically, it's injurious to the personal life and esteem of
anyone. Thus, I say "nay" to the proposal of "easier access" of psychiatric
medical records.
If any new law comes of this, it's my own personal / professional opinion
that it's already widely practiced illegally here within the states. I'm
referring specifically disclosure of mental health amongst the community
from medical personal and law enforcement to the "has to be informed
citizen", without any permission by the so stated "patient" and or "person
of concern".
This soon to be law is quite simply to be symbolic and will relieve immense
pressure for the "unwritten" rule already broken.
In todays world, psychiatrists, physicians are as quick as a killer
when it comes to lack of thought and care for not only the patient, to the
medical community itself.
I can recall, one individual whom went to a local hospital in fear of a nose
bleed re-occurrence. The physician asked the patient, "are you employed?"
In fact, the patient had filled out with a hospital secretary the answer to
that
question and indeed was employed, the patient telling the physician as well.
The physician said to the patient "you are paranoid and delusional".
I know you are reading this out of context. From that I know, the
physician, medical emergency room attending physician insisted that the
patient, of whom was calm, cool and collected, friendly and forthcoming was
to be seen by a psychiatrist to know if the patient should be temporarily
committed for a period of no less than 3 days.
I know this patient and the person is not mentally ill then or now. The
patient promptly was guarded by two hospital security guards. The patient
had no civil and or criminal offenses at all or anytime before, was not
currently wanted by police at all at any level, anywhere. Yet the
patient was guarded, truly an insult. The patient left swiftly, only to be
brought in by local police in handcuffs. The patient had to wait nearly 8
hours in a padded cell before being seen by a psychiatrist and eventually,
the patient was released.
During that time, the adult patients immediate family was called in by the
physician and psychiatrist without the patients knowing and without the
patients consent.
However, the atrocity worsens the next following day when the former patient
went to work. Standing in the doorway to the warehouse business was a local
medical community representative, (official jacket and all) talking with the
persons employers. Not only the employers heard this conversation but the
employees, many of them within earshot. The medical official claimed that
"so and so is mentally ill and unemployed, would you give "so and so" a job
and let us know of "so and so" behavior". "So and so" was in fact that same
(now former) patient I've written of, the former patient heard the entire
conversation from less than 10 feet behind as the former patient stood
outside of the wide open door to the place where employed.
Do you understand now, the cause for concern? That above real life scenario
happens daily and absolutely ruins lives at any varying level, temporarily
and worse, permanently.
I cannot stand by with any law that would permit "legal" disclosure to just
anyone, especially when the potential for ruining someone's reputation and
life, lives of others can and will be effected badly.
There is that "fine line" where yes, if a person is on a "rampage", speaking
of harming someone and or them self, by all means, start talking yet there
has to be that "know it before the mental trigger is cocked and or pulled"
moment, that gray area, the storm warning so little know about yet perhaps
perceive deep within the human conscious. That period when the potential for
literal "immediate" threat is yet to be initiated. The ability to defuse a
potentially tragic situation without trespassing into a persons life if not
an easy task and is made far more complicated by "free wheeling", "trigger
ready", biased and selfish persons of the medical community as well as non
medical and sadly, family, friends and of course, law enforcement. Thus,
this is difficult. I truly believe in best case scenarios, it starts with
extending a hand of some form of constant, unbiased, unselfish behavior
towards someone much like Cho, the Virginia Tech gunman, seemingly quiet,
never looking into anyone's eyes.
Peace,
--
William K. Mahler,
http://www.mahlers.com
Singer - Songwriter - Photographer - Webmaster
Yahoo Instant Messenger ID: mahlerscom
reply: mahlers dot com at mahlers dot com
Virginia Tech Massacre "Medical Information & Proposed Change" 
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