Tammyla Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 This morning, after my dental cleaning the office administrator asked to take my picture for the their file. Would you or have you had pictures for your dental file? Any ideas why they want one, or why they are beginning to take them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 o_0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Nope, sorry. I don't think that is warranted with the other types of identification we already have available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I would ask them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 My OB office does this. I didn't think anything of it. I figure it's a way to streamline IDing folks in a busy practice and make your file more personal. And I am weird, weird, weird about photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 My first thought is for malpractice reasons.... a "this is what your face looked like before I did anything" type of deal. For the files to ID them visually makes sense too if the dentist has a lot of patients with similar names. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Our pedes office recently began taking them to prevent insurance fraud. I don't mind a bit. When I worked in ER, we had a huge amount of people (kids AND adults) using others' Medicaid cards. One parent had to correct her daughter a few times when she said no, my name is such and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 My OB, dentist, the library and Sam's Club have all taken my photo. I never gave it a second thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 All of the local practices here do that, medical and dental. Even the urgent cares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 All our medical offices do it here including the dentist. The dentist uses computer charts exclusively and the picture comes up on the screen in the corner. It's a busy practice and I think they do it so that they can recognize quickly that they have the right person's chart up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 A lot of our doctors do this. Over the past couple of years I've thought it was for identification to make sure they had the right person and the right chart, avoiding insurance fraud, streamling, etc. I won't give them anyone's SSN but the pictures don't bother me. I think so far our family practice doctor, the allergist, the orthodontist and the kid's dentist all do it. Of course they all actually know us too, but I can almost understand it. I think some of the new medical records software has it in it so they're all using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Our dentist does this. It's for insurance fraud. Apparently it is pretty rampant right now. But, according to my hygienist mom, it's also pretty convenient for the staff and is just one more identifying piece to help prevent mix ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Our dentist does this. It's for insurance fraud. Apparently it is pretty rampant right now. But, according to my hygienist mom, it's also pretty convenient for the staff and is just one more identifying piece to help prevent mix ups. Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Well I know the orthodontist does it so you can see the changes when they fix serious issues that often affect the jaw and smile. I have noticed more offices doing that and I honestly wonder if it's a fraud issue they are trying to combat. I had a Dr at Duke do a picture on the first visit. This was over a decade ago. And lately more offices are saying they are adding a photo to the file. Honestly, some people could pose as another person to get drugs. If a loved one was allowed to have something and you as her sister had a nice addiction to that pain medicine and your Dr office doesn't know who the heck this person is b/c they just don't care.....you might be able to get away posing as them. I would rather have my picture on file than pull out ID cards every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I believe more places are doing this now. I know at the Mayo Clinic, where my husband does his medical evals, they started taking photos for their records about two years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 My dentist does this, but it's a simple photograph like a school picture. We laugh when mine comes up because my hair is so different because it's from years ago. My son's orthodontist took pictures but they were specifically designed to show his facial structure and the inside of his mouth. To me, that is entirely different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 I did ask why, and she said it was just for the files. The office is pretty small, and I've been going there for a long time now; everyone is on a friendly, first name basis. It was just kind of strange, but I did say okay. I could tell there was a little tension in the waiting room, as the others were watching with quite a bit of interest. (It wasn't any type of smile before / after photo.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmeblue Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 My dentist's office doesn't do it, but my optometrist's does. And my optometrist is my FIL, and the person who took my picture is my MIL. ;) I think she told me they do it just so that they can look at the pictures beforehand and greet that day's patients by name as they come in. I don't know if it has anything to do with fraud, but I'll ask the next time I see them. Oh, my daughter's dentist took her picture at her first visit a few months ago. Then they sent the picture to her in the mail, making her feel VERY special. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCMom Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Ours has taken them for years. They're attached to the front of our files for easy identification. Same here. And people have tried to use other persons' insurances at our dentist. Not sure how, but the picture thing is a direct result of attempts at fraud at this office. Of course I'm not surprised considering where I live, lol. Edited to add that our pics are now digital, along with the rest of the patient file. Georgia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hwin Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 My OB office does this for their own file; it's completely digital as far as I know. They used to require a license, but maybe some people had a problem with that. (I never handed mine over.) My eye doctor does a "my first glasses" picture that is also sent to the parents in magnet form so they can pop it right on the fridge. My old orthodontist did it, he had a bulletin board of polaroids. I don't think a picture of me is nearly as delicate as all of the other information they have in my file. There are some things going on in our state/local area that concern me - automatic information sharing kind of stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 A lot of places here do it. Many offices are switching to electric medical records (mandatory by next year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I hate to admit that I spent some time trying to figure out just what kind of people "IDing folks" are. Duh. My OB office does this. I didn't think anything of it. I figure it's a way to streamline IDing folks in a busy practice and make your file more personal. And I am weird, weird, weird about photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I'm sure the fraud angle is the real reason, but we did this in Veterinary medicine for years, and it had nothing to do with fraud, or malpractice, or what not. It was for the simple reason that it is darned hard to remember everyone just from a name. So when discussing a case with a staff member, or just trying to think back to the visit, it really helps to have a picture. REALLY helps. It's a memory jog, and helps put a face with a name when you have so so so many appointments in a day. We actually tried REALLy hard to get the owner to pose with the pet for the picture, when possible, so we could have a visual reminder of both. We bribed people to do it by giving them a copy of the picture laminated to the back of one of our business cards. That way they had a sturdy thing to put in their wallet with our contact info, and a picture of their pet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Our vet does this, but not our doctor or dentist. The kids' dentist takes pictures of their teeth and gums until about 6yo, but not faces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFA323 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 It seems to be pretty common now to take pics. I've had it done at every medical or dental appointment I can remember for the past few years. Our ped dentist takes pictures of patients who don't have cavities to put on the wall. We declined. A picture for the file is different. It's just to help the hygenist identify you or to prevent insurance fraud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 It seems to be pretty common now to take pics. I've had it done at every medical or dental appointment I can remember for the past few years. Our ped dentist takes pictures of patients who don't have cavities to put on the wall. We declined. A picture for the file is different. It's just to help the hygenist identify you or to prevent insurance fraud. Some kids cannot help if they get cavities. That makes me feel sad for those who cannot help it (parental neglect, etc.). I'm glad you declined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I've never heard of it before. Knowing my state it is against the law, lol. I can tell that it is to stem insurance fraud, but as someone with a VERY common name, I like the idea of minimizing record mix-ups. On more than one occasion I have had to clear up exactly which 'common first name' I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Fraud prevention, identification for more personalized greeting and before and after results. Quite common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I wish my OB/GYN's office took my picture during my last pregnancy. Instead, they used a copy of my driver's license which has to be one of the worst photos ever taken of me. Whenever a new nurse would take me back, she'd look back and forth from me to the inside flap of my file. Oh well! :) From a HIPPA perspective, if your photo is in the file, the medical practitioner can identify you in the waiting room and call you back without using your name or disclosing anything to the rest of the patients. I don't see how they'd use your picture for any nefarious purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 After thinking about it and reading the posts, I guess I can expect more of the photo requests. It just took me by surprise this morning. I had that gooey fluoride stuck all over my teeth and I felt pretty mussed after the cleaning. I think I would have felt better getting it done on arrival vs. while paying my bill in front of the other people in the waiting room. I'm pretty compliant and said okay after asking why, but it still felt a bit unsettling. Her reason of for the file, was pretty vague, but I felt like I needed to say okay. However, I clamped my mouth shut over the fluoride, and just gave a hurry up and take the picture look. I do hope it's kept inside the file, and I never have to see how it turned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Some kids cannot help if they get cavities. That makes me feel sad for those who cannot help it (parental neglect, etc.). I'm glad you declined. Cavities are mostly genetic, anyway. Plus, many medications (particularly asthma meds) make kids more subceptible to cavities. My family dentist growing up? He told my mom that he has had contentious people who brushed and flossed well who still had tons of cavities and alcoholic drug users who rarely brushed with perfect teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 After thinking about it and reading the posts, I guess I can expect more of the photo requests. It just took me by surprise this morning. I had that gooey fluoride stuck all over my teeth and I felt pretty mussed after the cleaning. I think I would have felt better getting it done on arrival vs. while paying my bill in front of the other people in the waiting room. I'm pretty compliant and said okay after asking why, but it still felt a bit unsettling. Sarah's reason of for the file, was pretty vague, but I felt like I needed to say okay. However, I clamped my mouth shut over the fluoride, and just gave a hurry up and take the picture look. I do hope it's kept inside the file, and I never have to see how it turned out. LOL. I *will* say that when our dentist took the pics of the kids that it was at the very beginning of the visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 That policy makes me sad for so many kids. My sister's foster kids suffered from so many dental problems that were 100% not their fault; that would have been horrible for them. It seems to be pretty common now to take pics. I've had it done at every medical or dental appointment I can remember for the past few years. Our ped dentist takes pictures of patients who don't have cavities to put on the wall. We declined. A picture for the file is different. It's just to help the hygenist identify you or to prevent insurance fraud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I hate to admit that I spent some time trying to figure out just what kind of people "IDing folks" are. Duh. Lol, sorry. It does look funny. It was not a very well-constructed sentence in the first place. Also, everyone I am surrounded by in my current profession speaks in acronyms. They abbreviate everything, and sometimes I fall into that trap, too. ETA: OP, I would have been taken aback if I was surprised with a request for a photo post-cleaning with fluoride in my mouth, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Ours does. Now that you mention it, it really is no different than using a driver's license for identification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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