I have bronchitis and the nurse and doctor told me to wear a mask (covering mouth and nose) during my entire visit to the doctors. He did it in a VERY rude manner so won't be going back to him (darn, have to find a new doctor again) but just wondering if the mask wearing was being asked of anyone else.
I went to my GP three weeks ago. There were multiple signs posted throughout the office indicating that "any patient with a cough should request and wear a mask" (that's not the exact wording, but I can't remember). I think physicians and their staff are quite fearful of the next rash of swine flu and the personal risk it poses to them. Since I was not coughing, no one asked me to wear one. However, there is never an excuse for being rude!!
i think the doctor offices and hospitals are just being cautious because of the swine flu. but yes they could have done it in a more polite way.
It's been standard practice for a few years now that any patient with a cough should be wearing a mask. Pretty much every office/hospital I've been to has signed posted indicating that visitors take such a precaution.
Ditto what M R said...it is standard practice in all the hospital/doctor's offices I have visited in the last three years. There are usually signs posted and masks right next to the signs. I think I would find it rude for a patient with bronchitis to be hacking all over me or my daughter, when they could just put a mask on.
Never, and I have suffered from a lot of bronchitis issues. I think it is wrong and out of place. Bronchitis is no worse than someone coming in with flu, the chicken pox or strep. I would have refused. I realize that you are exposing others to your coughing but if someone is that worried that they should wear the mask. That would prevent them from getting you germs.
That is my 2 cents...
Sigrid
I think it is going to be more common this season with swine flu. I work at a hospital and they ask us to wear masks if we have a cold. It certainly has some utility in a doctor's office or other healthcare facility and can help prevent the spread of germs. In some other countries, it is common to seee people riding public transportation with masks on so as to prevent the spread of germs.
Our doctor's office has a sign asking people to wear a mask if they have cold, flu, etc. Maybe they thought you were ignoring their sign and being discourteous to others around you? If you switch doctors and refuse to wear a mask there when you have a contageous (or not contageous) hack...you might get the same treatment from a doctor, nurse, or the patients around you. Personally, I think you should have apologized and put the mask on.
Nora-
Doctor and staff behavior is completely inexcusable. I have to agree with you, you are the patient and it is a business. The flu viruses (all of them) are mostly transmitted via hands and germs on surfaces. Where is the tact in medical offices any more (this is why we do not see these kinds of practitioners)? We have had millions of flu's and viruses that have been going around for decades.
Good for you find another doctor.
Every doctor's office I have ever been too has huge signs that ask anyone with a cough, cold, or other contagious disease to wear a mask. Usually people just come in and grab one, but if you don't and you start coughing then the staff does ask you to put one on. In my opinion it's rude to everyone else in the waiting room to not wear one.
Nora are you offended in the manner this situation was conductded or offended b/c you were asked to do this? If it's b/c you were asked to do this, I woudldn't go ahead and find another doctor over this. I wasn't told to do this but I was in the waiting room of my doctors office (going for my Depo shot) and another patient came in, checked in at the front desk and sat to read a magazine. In 5 minutes this lady might have coughed two or three times. I didn't think nothing of it but other patients waiting looked at her as if she had an infectious disease. Eye contact between these other patient towards the front desk girl I guess forced the office personnel to direct the coughing patient to and the side of the front desk where they had hand santizer, tissue, and masks. It seemed to me like the front desk girl was kind of uncomfortable of having to single out this lady in front of everyone but she was kinda made to do this by the evil of of the other patient. After the mask went on the other patients were at ease.
Maybe your doctor wasn't trying to be rude but rather was uncomfortable to have to put you through that but knew he had to do it given this whole swine flu outbreaeak and knowing how pwople react to it.
Think your actions through and see if this all is really worth possibly losing a good doctor over.
I'm a respiratory therapist at a large hospital and agree that you should wear a mask. As other postings have indicated, it is standard practice for patients to wear masks with repiratory infections that could be contagious. I have caught RSV, colds, mono and "mysterious" infections from patients who didn't know what they had, had something different than what they thought, or did know and even coughed in my face!! Droplets travel 3 feet. I don't agree with the posting that the ones worried should only wear a mask since some viruses can live on surfaces for many hours. What if you cough and a droplet landed on the arm of a chair in the waiting room, and then someone came to sit in your chair afterwards? Also consider the fact that you contracted this from someone else, therefore you know you have a contagious condition. Also, viruses and bacteria are mutating (Swine flu, for example) and we don't quite know or understand them yet. At my hospital, we are dealing with some different bugs that are difficult to treat. As a health care worker who is running into this on a frequent babsis (and one who just had to take 2 wks off work from getting mono from a patient who coughed and droplets of sputum flew on me), I can understand the frustration of having a patient who is not wearing a mask as requested. So unless there are other reasons for finding a new doc, I say give him a break this time. I'm sure you would have appreciated your toddlers wearing a mask, if that was possible, and avoiding getting infected.
maybe there was really something wrong with the doctor and not you at all
My doctor has a sign posted on his door that if you have anything running from your body (i.e. pink eye, snotty nose) or a rash you have to use a separate door and be put into a separate exam room immediately so as to cut down on contamination of the other patients. Some doctors have no tact in how they ask for something. If you really like the doctor try and put this aside. If you go to any ER you will see piles of masks for adults and kids, hey, I have been tempted to put one on when I was not sick just to be sure I did not pick something up!
What's the big deal, just wear it for the big half an hour out of your life that you are there. You wouldn't have wanted to spread it to anyone else would you? I think you are more bothered by the doctor being rude than having to wear the mask, but on the other hand, it sounds like they had to ask you several times to put it on. I think I would have been annoyed as well, having to ask someone several times to wear one- especially with all the hype of the swine flu right now. I am sure it was not meant to be personal but rather a health precaution.
What is the big deal? If you were sitting in this office waiting for an annual check-up (well-visit) and someone came in sounding horrible wouldn't you feel better that the office was taking the proper precautions and protecting you from contracting an infectious disease. It sounds likes this doctors office is being very responsible. I would assume you have heard of something called H1N1? Maybe you should take a step back and stop thinking about yourself and think about all the other people that you could be harming if you did have something more serious.
The doctor and staff were very rude. The nurse and staff should have explained nicely, "Mrs. Smith, we need all coughing patients to wear a mask. The droplets can travel 3 feet and remain in the air and on surfaces even long after you are gone- even if you cough into a sleeve or tissue. I'm so sorry this is a hassle, I know, but little kids, babies coming in with their parents and especially asthmatic patients can get very sick or die from some airborne viruses. So, we just gotta play it safe. Here, I'll show you the right way to put it on. It has to cover these parts of your face to work correctly and be this tight. Thanks so much." I think if it was handled differently, patients would be educated about how critical and would actually know how to wear the mask correctly. You should switch doctors and find one with a better bedside manner and more professional staff.
My Dr.'s office has a sign posted that if you have a cough or bad cold please wear a mask to prevent the spread of infection.
I really think we will be seeing a lot more of this and you should not take it personally. There is a campus in Washington where the kids have been back to school for 2 weeks and there are 2,000 cases of H1N1 already. Look for a lot of precautions. Your doctor could have asked kindly, though.
Hi-i wouldn't be offended-all drs offices in our area have signs up that if you have a cough or are sneezing or have anything infectious that you put on a mask-and my dr has nop qualms about telling you to put one on-and I don't mind-its for everyones safety