Chaperones for rectal and genital examinations in the emergency department: what do patients and physicians want?
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to compare patients' preferences and physicians' practice for the presence of chaperones during genitourinary examinations.


METHODS
A survey of 163 emergency department patients and 52 physicians was used to evaluate patients' preferences and physicians' practices for the presence and gender of a chaperone during genital examinations.


RESULTS
Most male patients (88%) did not care about the presence of a chaperone. Only 47% of female patients preferred a chaperone when a pelvic examination was to be performed by a male physician and only 26% preferred a chaperone with a female physician. One hundred percent of male and most female physicians (92%) used a chaperone for pelvic examinations. Most physicians do not ask patients whether they want a chaperone; however, most patients would like to be asked.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude there is a discrepancy between what physicians do and what their patients desire.
Santen
Sally A
SA
Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-4700, USA. sally.santen@vanderbilt.edu
Seth
Naveen
N
Hemphill
Robin R
RR
Wrenn
Keith D
KD
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D026690:Ethics, Clinical; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000175:diagnosis; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000941:ethics / Q000639:trends*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D035502:Trust; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis