Chaperone use by family physicians during the collection of a Pap smear.
BACKGROUND
We wanted to determine whether variations exist in use of a chaperone during the performance of a pelvic examination by family physicians.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to 5,000 randomly selected active members of the American Academy of Family Physicians.


RESULTS
There were 3,551 survey responses (71% response rate) and 2,748 useable questionnaires. Most respondents (75.4%) reported routinely using a chaperone in the room during the collection of a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear. Significantly (P < .00001) more male physicians (84.1%) than female physicians (31.4%) reported using a chaperone. Physicians reporting routine use of a chaperone were significantly younger (P = .01) and did fewer Pap smears per month (P < .00001). Regional reporting of chaperone use varied significantly (P < .00001), with 71.6% reporting use in the Northeast, 89.0% in the South, 65.7% in the Midwest, and 72.4% in the West.


CONCLUSIONS
Family physicians vary considerably in the reported use of a chaperone during the collection of a Pap smear. The variation could reflect different regional or local norms, efficiency or resource issues in high-volume clinical settings, or other interpersonal factors. These issues need to be explored in more depth.
Rockwell
Pamela
P
Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0708, USA.
Steyer
Terrence E
TE
Ruffin
Mack T
MT
D000328:Adult; D003675:Defensive Medicine; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D014626:Vaginal Smears