School wants us to sign a crazy medical release form..

[luvmy3]

If you have a REASON not to sign the form, by all means it shouldn't be signed.

I'm sure the overwhelming majority of school kids don't have thousands of pages of medical info they don't want shared.

How come so many opinions on the DIS have to be made from the most extreme stances?

If your 14 year old has a history of sexually transmitted diseases, of course you won't share that.

We will not be donning our tin foil hats because my son has a history of a couple broken bones and a few mild allergies.

Okay, but that can be said about the other side as well. How often are there emergencies where the school nurse needs to have complete access to a child's complete medical history? So if they are going to use "extremes" to make the case for the policy, it is certainly valid to make extremes to oppose it.

 

[kamik86]

If you have a REASON not to sign the form, by all means it shouldn't be signed.

I'm sure the overwhelming majority of school kids don't have thousands of pages of medical info they don't want shared.

How come so many opinions on the DIS have to be made from the most extreme stances?

If your 14 year old has a history of sexually transmitted diseases, of course you won't share that.

We will not be donning our tin foil hats because my son has a history of a couple broken bones and a few mild allergies.

So you sign the form because all your child has is a couple of broken bones and allergies. Then mid year he attempts suicide or you find out he has an STD... and the school gets those records.

Or for one that you can't say "but my child would never do that too" you find out you have a condition that could be genetic so your child is tested and the school finds out (and now knows there must be some reason your child was tested for this)

There is no way to know that you will never have something you don't want the school to know about...

I also wouldn't sign for another reason. If the only people that didn't sign were the ones that had something to be ashamed of there would be a stigma to simply not signing. So I wouldn't sign and I would hope others wouldn't sign either to protect the privacy of those that have something they can't sign because of...

 

[Bob NC]

I also wouldn't sign for another reason. If the only people that didn't sign were the ones that had something to be ashamed of there would be a stigma to simply not signing. So I wouldn't sign and I would hope others wouldn't sign either to protect the privacy of those that have something they can't sign because of...

Oh my, you are in a pickle now.

 

[gwynne]

So you sign the form because all your child has is a couple of broken bones and allergies. Then mid year he attempts suicide or you find out he has an STD... and the school gets those records.

Or for one that you can't say "but my child would never do that too" you find out you have a condition that could be genetic so your child is tested and the school finds out (and now knows there must be some reason your child was tested for this)

There is no way to know that you will never have something you don't want the school to know about...

I also wouldn't sign for another reason. If the only people that didn't sign were the ones that had something to be ashamed of there would be a stigma to simply not signing. So I wouldn't sign and I would hope others wouldn't sign either to protect the privacy of those that have something they can't sign because of...

BBM. Your reasoning is sound and sensitive. Very thoughtful post.

 

[DopeyDame]

If you have a REASON not to sign the form, by all means it shouldn't be signed.

I'm sure the overwhelming majority of school kids don't have thousands of pages of medical info they don't want shared.

How come so many opinions on the DIS have to be made from the most extreme stances?

If your 14 year old has a history of sexually transmitted diseases, of course you won't share that.

We will not be donning our tin foil hats because my son has a history of a couple broken bones and a few mild allergies.

There are two very big reasons why waiting until you have a REASON not to sign the form is a baaaad idea:

1. If everyone else signs the form, and Suzy Q doesn't, you've now put her in a position of explaining that there is a REASON that she doesn't want to sign the form. At the very least, that's uncomfortable and embarassing for her. Surely you realize that there are privacy protections in place across the board precisely so some people aren't singled out.

2. You may not have a REASON to worry about release of info right now, but what if something happens between now and next year's form. And next year you don't want the school to know that your kid now has a REASON that you deem import enough to restrict access. Now they're going to want to know why. And you're going to have to hope and pray that the form you signed last year isn't still on file and some doctor doesn't accept it as legit.

If someone wants unfettered access to my kid's medical records, they better give me a darn good reason why, and nothing I've read in this thread comes even close to that. If my kid has a medical issue that the school needs to know about, I will tell them. If not, and something happens to my kid at school, I expect them to call 911 and do their best.

As for the OP, I'd cross out item #3 and write "School does not have my permission to access medical records" and return the form. I'm not so worried about #2, because as others have said, sometimes in a school adults hold many rolls, so if I DO tell the school about a medical issue, I'd want any adult who is with my kid to know about it. But I can totally understand why you wouldn't want to sign that, given the complete over-reach of the form in general.

Good luck!

 

[luvsJack]

What if your 15 year old daughter was raped and had an abortion?

What if your 14 year old son attempted suicide?

What if your 7 year old son is doctoring for bed wetting?

What if your 17 year old daughter has an STD?

These things are very private in most families and it is up to the family to treat them in a private manner if they wish to. I can tell you, I would NOT want this information to be readily available to certain school nurses who live in small towns. I know of a certain yappy school nurse that should lose her job for her gossip. Just what she talks about to the teachers makes me cringe. And even if she does lose her job, the damage is done. The word is out. A private family matter is no longer private.

You could not PAY me to sign that form, OP.

So you sign the form because all your child has is a couple of broken bones and allergies. Then mid year he attempts suicide or you find out he has an STD... and the school gets those records.

Or for one that you can't say "but my child would never do that too" you find out you have a condition that could be genetic so your child is tested and the school finds out (and now knows there must be some reason your child was tested for this)

There is no way to know that you will never have something you don't want the school to know about...

I also wouldn't sign for another reason. If the only people that didn't sign were the ones that had something to be ashamed of there would be a stigma to simply not signing. So I wouldn't sign and I would hope others wouldn't sign either to protect the privacy of those that have something they can't sign because of...

If your child attempts or has attempted suicide, do you not feel that the school SHOULD know?

Same thing with the rape--being raped could cause some underlying problems that may come out in school.

Not sure why the bed wetting would matter--fairly common.

And the STD, sorry, but chances are they are going to know. If the daughter got it from someone at school or gave it to someone at school; the school nurse knowing is the least of her worries. Chances are the entire student body is going to know.

I guess I have always thought of the school personnel as people that are there FOR my child and for me and them to work together to get my child through the ages of 5-17. That's not to say I haven't had issues with teachers and with principals but for the most part I haven't met one yet that wasn't looking out for the good of my child and the other students.

If my child attempted suicide, I would want every adult that would have contact with her to know so they would be helping me watch for signs of an issue.

If my 7 year old suddenly started wetting the bed, I would WANT to let them know so that if anything is going on at school that could be causing the problem.

If you know of a nurse that is telling private information, she really should be reported to her boss, the medical board, whoever.

I realize that some parents would not want anyone to know these things and that is their right, but I don't think we should panic every time the school system tries to implement something to make sure our kids get the best care possible.

 

[luvmy3]

If your child attempts or has attempted suicide, do you not feel that the school SHOULD know?

Same thing with the rape--being raped could cause some underlying problems that may come out in school.

Not sure why the bed wetting would matter--fairly common.

And the STD, sorry, but chances are they are going to know. If the daughter got it from someone at school or gave it to someone at school; the school nurse knowing is the least of her worries. Chances are the entire student body is going to know.

I guess I have always thought of the school personnel as people that are there FOR my child and for me and them to work together to get my child through the ages of 5-17. That's not to say I haven't had issues with teachers and with principals but for the most part I haven't met one yet that wasn't looking out for the good of my child and the other students.

If my child attempted suicide, I would want every adult that would have contact with her to know so they would be helping me watch for signs of an issue.

If my 7 year old suddenly started wetting the bed, I would WANT to let them know so that if anything is going on at school that could be causing the problem.

If you know of a nurse that is telling private information, she really should be reported to her boss, the medical board, whoever.

I realize that some parents would not want anyone to know these things and that is their right, but I don't think we should panic every time the school system tries to implement something to make sure our kids get the best care possible.

I guess I don't see the school there to give my child the best "care", I see them there to give my child an education. IF something is going on in my child's life that may effect their education I will be the one to inform the school if I feel it is necessary. They will have access to what they need through me. They do not need to have permission to go about accessing what they want, when they want just because they feel they need to know things.

 

[tvguy]

What if your 15 year old daughter was raped and had an abortion?

What if your 14 year old son attempted suicide?

What if your 7 year old son is doctoring for bed wetting?

What if your 17 year old daughter has an STD?

These things are very private in most families and it is up to the family to treat them in a private manner if they wish to. I can tell you, I would NOT want this information to be readily available to certain school nurses who live in small towns. I know of a certain yappy school nurse that should lose her job for her gossip. Just what she talks about to the teachers makes me cringe. And even if she does lose her job, the damage is done. The word is out. A private family matter is no longer private.

You could not PAY me to sign that form, OP.

What if your child had an emergency at school, the school nurse called your child's doctor enroute to the hospital with the paramedics and got information that saved your childn's life? Is your privacy still more important? We can go back and forth all you want, I have no problem with folks not signing the form, just pointing out, again, that this is not an uncommon item on a form for a child.

 

[luvsJack]

I guess I don't see the school there to give my child the best "care", I see them there to give my child an education. IF something is going on in my child's life that may effect their education I will be the one to inform the school if I feel it is necessary. They will have access to what they need through me. They do not need to have permission to go about accessing what they want, when they want just because they feel they need to know things.

By care, I meant the best possible medical care in a medical emergency.

There is a whole lot more to educating a child than learning to read and write. They have to look at the whole child and some of these things are necessary for them to know. And actually "care" does come in to that equation when you figure that a kid spends as many hours a day in school as he/she does awake at home--more for some.

I truly believe that most school personnel have better things to do than go nosing around in my child's medical records for no good reason. I really do.

I do wonder though, would some of you feel differently if it came to there being a child who is dangerous in your child's class, the parent fails to tell the school about whatever the medical/mental issue is but the school could have found out with those records. Would you think then that it could be useful? Would you not want the school to know?

 

[sam_gordon]

I truly believe that most school personnel have better things to do than go nosing around in my child's medical records for no good reason. I really do.

I do wonder though, would some of you feel differently if it came to there being a child who is dangerous in your child's class, the parent fails to tell the school about whatever the medical/mental issue is but the school could have found out with those records. Would you think then that it could be useful? Would you not want the school to know?

I agree with the first sentence I quoted. However, doesn't the second paragraph negate the first one? In order for the school to find out something a parent doesn't disclose, the school (nurse, principal, whoever) would have to read every child's complete medical records, right? If they don't read the records, they wouldn't know about any potential issues (assuming there ARE issues the parents don't tell them about).

Therefore, personnel WOULD have to "nose around" in the records.

 

[gwynne]

What if your child had an emergency at school, the school nurse called your child's doctor enroute to the hospital with the paramedics and got information that saved your childn's life? Is your privacy still more important? We can go back and forth all you want, I have no problem with folks not signing the form, just pointing out, again, that this is not an uncommon item on a form for a child.

I would think that if a child had a serious condition they would wear an alert bracelet.

 

[rgf207]

I would think that if a child had a serious condition they would wear an alert bracelet.

This. I can't think of any situation where a pre-existing, life threatening condition would not be known about or at least identifiable on the child.

 

[Pigeon]

By care, I meant the best possible medical care in a medical emergency.

There is a whole lot more to educating a child than learning to read and write. They have to look at the whole child and some of these things are necessary for them to know. And actually "care" does come in to that equation when you figure that a kid spends as many hours a day in school as he/she does awake at home--more for some.

I truly believe that most school personnel have better things to do than go nosing around in my child's medical records for no good reason. I really do.

I do wonder though, would some of you feel differently if it came to there being a child who is dangerous in your child's class, the parent fails to tell the school about whatever the medical/mental issue is but the school could have found out with those records. Would you think then that it could be useful? Would you not want the school to know?

I want the school to provide a good education. I do not want the school worrying about "the whole child." The school has more than enough on it's plate already. I want the school not to meddle in things that are not directly related to my child's education, period. I give the schools the bare minimum of personal information, because it is none of their business.

The notion that the school should have to solve all of society's ills and be mother, father, social worker, policeman, doctor and psychiatrist to all children is one of the reasons why schools are in an impossible position.

 

[RitaE]

Originally Posted by tvguy

What if your child had an emergency at school, the school nurse called your child's doctor enroute to the hospital with the paramedics and got information that saved your childn's life? Is your privacy still more important? We can go back and forth all you want, I have no problem with folks not signing the form, just pointing out, again, that this is not an uncommon item on a form for a child.

Hippa Regulations also do not prevent a child's Doctor from communicating with hospital staff in regards to Emergency Medical care ... and frankly in a Medical Emergency I'd rather Doctor #1 be communicating with Doctor #2 and not relaying medical information via the school nurse.

If a school nurse phoned a Doctor from the ambulance and said "We are transporting student XYZ who is your patient to ZZZ Hospital - the Doctor's office would pull the chart information, alert the Physician (or on call Doctor) and they would then contact the hospital with needed facts.

None of this is any reason for a school Nurse to have access to lab reports, future appointments, or any of the other possible information that was listed.

 

[luvmy3]

I want the school to provide a good education. I do not want the school worrying about "the whole child." The school has more than enough on it's plate already. I want the school not to meddle in things that are not directly related to my child's education, period. I give the schools the bare minimum of personal information, because it is none of their business.

The notion that the school should have to solve all of society's ills and be mother, father, social worker, policeman, doctor and psychiatrist to all children is one of the reasons why schools are in an impossible position.

Can I get an amen!

 

[DopeyDame]

For those here who are saying the school does need unfettered access to a child's entire medical record so they can be aware that the kid has <diabetes, allergies, etc>, help me understand how that would actually truly work in real life.

As a responsible parent, I will clearly tell the school that my child has a medical need about which the school should know. I will ensure that they have appropriate medicine on hand, that they know the emergency procedures, and that they have any records that would be important in the first minutes of an emergency. That's my job as a parent ensuring the safety of my child. I will provide that informaiton to the school, and ONLY that information that they need. So in this case, there's no reason for me to sign a release for the school nurse to call my doctor and get unlimited access to the medical information - they arleady have what they need on file.

"OK, but not all parents are responsible" seems to be the next argument. Well, in that case, the school nurse doesn't know about the <allergy, diabetes, etc> and the parent hasn't pointed it out to them. The ONLY way having acecss to medical records would fix this situation is if the nurse sits down and reads through the complete medical file of every kid in the school, searching for issues that weren't reported by the parents. Something I sure as heck don't want my kid's school doing.

There very well may be cases when a child is so medically fragile or complicated that the school personnel and the doctor need to be in contact. I trust schools, parents, and doctors to handle those cases on an individual basis. Just because it may make sense in a very small percentage of cases, doesn't make it remotely reasonable to ask all kids in a school to give up their medical information.

 

[pacrosby]

My oldest get OT in school and they've NEVER asked for permission to see all of her medical records or have access to all of her medical records. (which btw are thousands of pages long. I would laugh if they actually wanted to have copies of them) We did give access to her records to the school Dr (she actually isn't in the school or in a clinic in the school she's called in to help diagnose and write IEPs) who saw her before she got her IEP. The school nurse doesn't have access to them, no one at the school does.

I also have a child with a complicated medical history (a rare CHD w/3 open heart surgeries and multiple non invasive cardiac procedures to date).....I'm laughing at the thought of a school nurse trying to read through his medical records for "pertinent" information to give to the paramedics. We've had enough trouble dealing with the average physician given the general lack of understanding re: his condition so there's no way I'd want to put his fate into the hands of a school nurse. If something goes wrong my husband and I/his ped/his cardiologist (or someone from the cardiology dept at the Children's Hospital) are the ONLY people who should be contacted. The school knows the name of the diagnosis and the names and numbers of those who should be contacted in an emergency. That's all they need.

I also have to agree with those posters who have expressed concern that too much information in the wrong hands can be counterproductive. It would be very easy for a well meaning yet uninformed staff member to make decisions that would be unnecessary and not in the child's best interest based upon their 'fears' and lack of understanding. I get that most here don't get that. Consider yourselves lucky I guess.

 

[pacrosby]

If you have a REASON not to sign the form, by all means it shouldn't be signed.

I'm sure the overwhelming majority of school kids don't have thousands of pages of medical info they don't want shared.

How come so many opinions on the DIS have to be made from the most extreme stances?

If your 14 year old has a history of sexually transmitted diseases, of course you won't share that.

We will not be donning our tin foil hats because my son has a history of a couple broken bones and a few mild allergies.

I think people are just pointing out that these extremes DO in fact exist because too many are ignoring them; too many are saying "what's the big deal?" People are trying to tell you what the big deal may be.

You are right, for many it's no big deal as the records reveal nothing but routine visits for yearly physicals and common viruses and flu vaccines. But then again, if it really is no big deal, if there is nothing 'interesting' in those records to begin with...............why do they need them? How are those things going to help? They're not. Seems to me that the only real advantage would be to gain access to some information the parent may have neglected to mention. But whose job is it to comb through the pages of each and every one of those hundreds of records to find that missing information? And then call for subsequent updates with a full review? You know don't you that you can't wait until an emergency arises to find it out if there is something you need to be aware of? And you can't count on records from 2010 in 2012? Sounds like not much more than a 'feel good' policy to me that has little in the way of practical value.

 

[luvsJack]

I want the school to provide a good education. I do not want the school worrying about "the whole child." The school has more than enough on it's plate already. I want the school not to meddle in things that are not directly related to my child's education, period. I give the schools the bare minimum of personal information, because it is none of their business.

The notion that the school should have to solve all of society's ills and be mother, father, social worker, policeman, doctor and psychiatrist to all children is one of the reasons why schools are in an impossible position.

How do you propose they do that?

If a child's family is being upturned due to a divorce--guess what? Its going to affect their work in school.

If a child's father is beating his mother (or the other way around)--guess what? Its going to affect their progress in school.

If a child is being picked on in school, it could affect medical issues such as bed-wetting. So there again a medical problem can over-lap a school problem.

If a child has been raped and gone through a birth/adoption/abortion--it can very possibly affect their school progress for several years.

If a child has some long term illness--it can certainly affect their progress.

Everything going on in a child's home/personal life can have impact on their school performance. If a teacher or administrator does not know what is going on, how would they help this child?

 

[luvmy3]

How do you propose they do that?

If a child's family is being upturned due to a divorce--guess what? Its going to affect their work in school.

If a child's father is beating his mother (or the other way around)--guess what? Its going to affect their progress in school.

If a child is being picked on in school, it could affect medical issues such as bed-wetting. So there again a medical problem can over-lap a school problem.

If a child has been raped and gone through a birth/adoption/abortion--it can very possibly affect their school progress for several years.

If a child has some long term illness--it can certainly affect their progress.

Everything going on in a child's home/personal life can have impact on their school performance. If a teacher or administrator does not know what is going on, how would they help this child?

Didn't you once start a thread about the way a teacher discouraged your dd about her chosen career path? What do you suppose a teacher would do with some of that personal information in your examples? (ETA, not meaning teachers in general would use it against a student, but I'm sure there are some out there that would treat them alot differently, and not in a good way).

You know what, some kids have crappy parents who don't care about their education, but last I checked doing bad in school wasn't against the law. Its a matter between a parent and their child, and the teacher, only if the parent decides to involve them.

You did hit on something though. Teachers here will now have part of their pay based on student performance. I could see a future where these types of releases are the norm......