Pelvic examinations by medical students

1989 ◽  
Vol 161 (4) ◽  
pp. 1013-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel L. Cohen ◽  
Rosslyn W.I. Kessel ◽  
Laurence B. McCullough ◽  
Aristide Y. Apostolides ◽  
Kelly J. Heiderich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Pelvic Examinations

Should medical students perform pelvic exams on anaesthetised patients without explicit consent?

2021 ◽  
pp. 147775092110704
Author(s):  
Chloe Bell ◽  
Nathan Emmerich
Keyword(s):  
Medical Student ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Consent Process ◽  
Potential Harm ◽  
Explicit Consent ◽  
Subsequent Discussion ◽  
Pelvic Examinations

There have been many reports of medical students performing pelvic exams on anaesthetised patients without the necessary consent being provided or even sought. These cases have led to an ongoing discussion regarding the need to ensure informed consent has been secured and furthermore, how it might be best obtained. We consider the importance of informed consent, the potential harm to both the patient and medical student risked by the suboptimal consent process, as well as alternatives to teaching pelvic examinations within medical school. The subsequent discussion focuses on whether medical students should perform pelvic examinations on anaesthetised patients without personally ensuring that they have given their explicit consent. Whilst we question the need to conduct pelvic examinations on anaesthetised patients in any circumstance, we argue that medical students should not perform such exams without personally securing the patients informed consent.

Aligning patient and physician views on educational pelvic examinations under anaesthesia: the medical student perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. medethics-2020-106473
Author(s):  
Sanjana Salwi ◽  
Alexandra Erath ◽  
Pious D Patel ◽  
Karampreet Kaur ◽  
Margaret B Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Medical Student ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Clinical Skill ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Physician Perspectives ◽  
Explicit Consent ◽  
Pelvic Examinations ◽  
Professional Guidelines

Recent media articles have stirred controversy over anecdotal reports of medical students practising educational pelvic examinations on women under anaesthesia without explicit consent. The understandable public outrage that followed merits a substantive response from the medical community. As medical students, we offer a unique perspective on consent for trainee involvement informed by the transitional stage we occupy between patient and physician. We start by contextualising the role of educational pelvic examinations under anaesthesia (EUAs) within general clinical skill development in medical education. Then we analyse two main barriers to achieving explicit consent for educational pelvic EUAs: ambiguity within professional guidelines on how to operationalize ‘explicit consent’ and divergent patient and physician perspectives on harm which prevent physicians from understanding what a reasonable patient would want to know before a procedure. To overcome these barriers, we advocate for more research on patient perspectives to empower the reasonable patient standard. Next, we call for minimum disclosure standards informed by this research and created in conjunction with students, physicians and patients to improve the informed consent process and relieve medical student moral injury caused by performing ‘unconsented’ educational pelvic exams.

Perceptions Regarding Medical Students Performing Pelvic Examinations on Anesthetized Female Patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 51S
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Rice ◽  
White Chase ◽  
John Myers ◽  
Janet Ko ◽  
Jay Goldberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Female Patients ◽  
Pelvic Examinations

scholarly journals Consent for Pelvic Examinations Under Anesthesia by Medical Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (6) ◽  
pp. 1298-1302
Author(s):  
Hannah L. Cundall ◽  
Sally E. MacPhedran ◽  
Kavita Shah Arora
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Pelvic Examinations

scholarly journals Patients’ attitude and factors influencing the acceptance of medical students’ participation in pelvic examination

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
Nisakorn Deesaen ◽  
Kongpop Sutantikorn ◽  
Punyanuch Phonngoenchai ◽  
Sakchai Chaiyamahapruk ◽  
Patcharada Amatyakul
Keyword(s):  
Medical Student ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
P Value ◽  
Pelvic Examination ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pelvic Examinations ◽  
Matters Of Concern

Introduction: Pelvic examination of patients in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology (Ob-Gyn) is an important skill for medical students. Because it involves a physical assessment of the patients' genitalia, patients may refuse medical students to participate in the examination, affecting the medical students' clinical skills. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Naresuan University Hospital to determine the factors that influence the acceptance of medical student participation in the pelvic examinations. A total of 198 out-patients from the Ob-Gyn department were included. A Likert scale questionnaire was designed which featured topics on patients’ attitudes and circumstances related to medical student involvement in gynaecological procedures. Results: The majority of outpatients (71.7%) accepted the participation of medical students in pelvic examinations. Patients with prior experiences in physical and pelvic examination by medical students had a significant impact on the patients' acceptance (P-value<0.001). The patients’ impressions had an influence on the decision to accept students in pelvic exam participation. Approximately 40% of patients were concerned about the breach of confidentiality. However, most patients strongly agreed that allowing medical students to perform pelvic examination would benefit their medical education. Conclusion: Most of the participants permitted medical students to participate in pelvic examinations and preferred that the medical instructor be the one to request permission. The patients’ impressions of medical students were crucial factors that significantly influence their decision whether to allow or deny them to participate in the procedure. Disclosure of confidentiality was found to be matters of concern to most patients.

Practicing Pelvic Examinations by Medical Students on Women Under Anesthesia

2013 ◽  
Vol 121 (2, PART 1) ◽  
pp. 378
Author(s):  
Kristina Tocce ◽  
Stephanie B. Teal
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Pelvic Examinations
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