Rant: Audiologist required info for custom IEM molds

I finally decided to purchase these IEM's https://empireears.com/products/legend-x-custom-in-ear-monitor

I made an appointment with an audiologist to have custom ear molds made to send the IEM manufacturer. This appointment is for tomorrow and the audiologist's office just emailed me forms to fill out and bring with me.

On these forms the audiologist wants me to list and explain the following:

•medical history

•list of all medications

•surgical history

•mental health history

•education history

•employment history

•caffeine/alcohol/tobacco usage history

•Twitter and Instagram profile names

WTF‽ I just emailed the audiologist's office asking if they would still make the molds without my providing this information to them as, if their answer is no, I am canceling the appointment

Talk about obtrusive

Am I off base on this?

The first couple seem normal enough. The next couple are intrusive. The rest don’t even have anything to do with medical. The last two seem almost like an illegal level of intrusiveness.

My thoughts exactly - they should ask my allergies in case there is something in the ear mold putty that I might be allergic to but, all the rest, no thank you

•medical history

•list of all medications

•surgical history

•mental health history

....are all fine and even necessary. Actually what's missing is known allergies, especially against certain medication. Imagine you, for whatever reason, pass out during the procedure and they give you X to get you back on the screen. Unfortunately you are highly allergic to X and you fall into life-threatening allergic shock. Not funny.

However....

•education history

•employment history

•caffeine/alcohol/tobacco usage history

•Twitter and Instagram profile names

...are not related to the audiologist's job and off limits. The last one looks like a joke but I fear it isn't. I'd love to hear their explanation for that being necessary.

•medical history

•list of all medications

•surgical history

•mental health history

 

....are all fine and even necessary. Actually what's missing is known allergies, especially against certain medication. Imagine you, for whatever reason, pass out during the procedure and they give you X to get you back on the screen. Unfortunately you are highly allergic to X and you fall into life-threatening allergic shock. Not funny.

 

However....

 

•education history

•employment history

•caffeine/alcohol/tobacco usage history

•Twitter and Instagram profile names

 

...are not related to the audiologist's job and off limits. The last one looks like a joke but I fear it isn't. I'd love to hear their explanation for that being necessary.

Allergies were part of medical history and that is fine

I would like to believe I would not pass out while they are merely using some putty to make a mold of my ears lol

What does my surgical (unless relating to my ears) and mental health history have to do with pouring some putty to make a mold?

As for the social media information - I wonder if they plan on "tagging" me in posts -- would that not violate HIPAA laws as it could reveal I was a patient (albeit for a completely innocuous reason)

One could almost justify the alcohol tobacco caffeine question given that any one of those could potentially effect your reaction to a particular procedure (in the case you passed out), but social media accounts? What the hell?

I’d call them up and tell them there was a mistake and that you aren’t applying for a job and need the patient information package not the employment opportunities one.

One could almost justify the alcohol tobacco caffeine question given that any one of those could potentially effect your reaction to a particular procedure (in the case you passed out), but social media accounts? What the hell?

 

I’d call them up and tell them there was a mistake and that you aren’t applying for a job and need the patient information package not the employment opportunities one.

The procedure is using putty to make a mold of my ears for custom headphones

I would like to believe I would not pass out while they are merely using some putty to make a mold of my ears lol

What does my surgical (unless relating to my ears) and mental health history have to do with pouring some putty to make a mold?

It all comes down to liability. If all goes well, no one cares. But if something, anything goes wrong, they need to have your condition on paper, signed by you, so they can do the right thing so you can't sue them afterwards.

I would like to believe I would not pass out while they are merely using some putty to make a mold of my ears lol

What does my surgical (unless relating to my ears) and mental health history have to do with pouring some putty to make a mold?

It all comes down to liability. If all goes well, no one cares. But if something, anything goes wrong, they need to have your condition on paper, signed by you, so they can do the right thing so you can't sue them afterwards.

I get it (the Esquire in my name is not there just for show LOL) but educational history, employment history, social media information?

Maybe they want to make sure you aren’t gonna post bad stuff about them on social media...

Might I ask what country/state you’re in?

Maybe they want to make sure you aren’t gonna post bad stuff about them on social media...

 

Might I ask what country/state you’re in?

New York, USA