I had the same gag reflex when I saw the suicide questions bringing my 10yo to the doctor. Talk about leading the witness...
I get the issue, and we have a real problem in this country with depression. But the solution is to ask a sterile question on basically what looks like a standardized test to a kid? Eh, I think not.
Doctors are attracted to formulaic questions and questionnaires like moths to a flame, as it lets them pretend to be doing a skilled job without actually having to do any work.
Can such things ever be valuable? Sure! But when a patient is getting bombarded with several impersonal depression screeners in a week, and then getting nagged when they balk at completing the superfluous ones for the umpteenth time, it's very clear that any emphasis on value has long left the building.
That reminds me of one good thing I have experienced along these lines. Whenever I take my wife in to the doctor, there is a point where the registrar, nurse, really anyone, pulls me away for a random reason.
The only point of that interaction is to get my wife alone and ask her if she is in danger and if she needs help. I wish I had some data to prove my feeling that this line of questioning must help vulnerable women escape abusive situations.
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I had the same gag reflex when I saw the suicide questions bringing my 10yo to the doctor. Talk about leading the witness...
I get the issue, and we have a real problem in this country with depression. But the solution is to ask a sterile question on basically what looks like a standardized test to a kid? Eh, I think not.
Reminds of the "recovered memory" hoaxes on the 1990s.
"First, do no harm" is a pretty useful goal...
I'm 52 years old and every time I go to the doctor they ask me the "Do you feel safe at home?" "Have you been depressed?" etc, etc questions.
Doctors are attracted to formulaic questions and questionnaires like moths to a flame, as it lets them pretend to be doing a skilled job without actually having to do any work.
Can such things ever be valuable? Sure! But when a patient is getting bombarded with several impersonal depression screeners in a week, and then getting nagged when they balk at completing the superfluous ones for the umpteenth time, it's very clear that any emphasis on value has long left the building.
That reminds me of one good thing I have experienced along these lines. Whenever I take my wife in to the doctor, there is a point where the registrar, nurse, really anyone, pulls me away for a random reason.
The only point of that interaction is to get my wife alone and ask her if she is in danger and if she needs help. I wish I had some data to prove my feeling that this line of questioning must help vulnerable women escape abusive situations.