[someburner]

I just got surgery in California and noticed I was asked to state my name and birthday anytime I moved rooms or saw a new person. Seems like this is now part of protocol in a lot of places.

[throwaway2245]

I've moved from a place where the protocol is "what's your name/birthday?" (while looking at a form with my name/birthday on it)

to a place where the protocol is "are you [name]?"

The difference is unnerving.

[kube-system]

That is standard procedure in the US for every trained medical professional, all the way down to the MA who measures your height and weight at a routine physical.

[ninju]

I believe a lot of that is verifying that you are the right patient

[minikites]

I got in a medium-severity bicycle accident in 2010 and while I was being whisked around the hospital for different tests and procedures I had to do that too.

[ThinkingGuy]

It's even done at Red Cross donation centers when I donate blood.