What is a Chaperone for General Practitioners?
A
chaperone in medical practice, is defined as an appropriately-trained
independent person who is responsible for observing the examinations and
procedures performed by the doctor or medical professional. Their main
job is to assist in strengthening the relationship between the doctor
and the patient and enhancing the standards of conventional medical
practice.
Need for Chaperones in Medical Profession
Medical
examinations are becoming increasingly challenging for the doctors and
the patients. The main reasons for this are the detailed doctor-patient
discussions, accompanied by increasing the autonomy of the patient and
their right to making decisions independently for medical and surgical
treatment. This is noticeably affecting the traditional doctor-patient
relationship that we know of.
These reasons have made maintaining a
transparent and open relationship between the doctor and their patients
and is increasingly difficult. The boundaries that govern an ideal and
healthy doctor-patient relationships are becoming blurred and making
consultation is more challenging for the doctors.
A chaperone works excellently to make the doctor-patient
relationship stronger and more trustful. However, reports show a
surprising lack of awareness amongst the medical community.
According to a survey published by BMJ (2015), shows that:
• Around 37% of general practitioners admitted to having a chaperone policy.
• While 68% of male general practitioners offered a chaperone when
performing an intimate physical examination, only 5% of female general
practitioners admitted to it.
• Only 54% of male and around 2% of female general practitioners admitted to having a chaperone when performing examinations.
• Over 70% of female and 8% of male general practitioners admitted
they never use a chaperone when conducting an intimate examination of
patients.
When the general practitioners did use a chaperone, the sources were varied, such as:
• 22% of interviewed general practitioners used general practice registrars or students as chaperones.
• 47% used a family member or a person accompanying the patient as chaperones.
• 43% of general practitioners used non-clinical practice staff as chaperones.
• 78% of general practitioners normally used qualified female nurses as chaperones.
The
main reasons that the general practitioners gave for not using a
licensed and qualified professional medical chaperone for chaperoning in
general practice are:
• Availability
• Confidentiality
• Time constraints
• Doctor-Patient relationship
Importance of Chaperoning in General Medical Practice
The
use of a chaperone during an intimate examination, especially of female
patients, is an essential step towards building a stronger, healthier
and more transparent relationship between the general practitioner
(doctor/medical professional) and their patients.
These are the
top reasons that detail the importance of having a chaperone present
during an intimate medical examination of a patient:
• Protection - The presence of a chaperone during an intimate
medical examination adds a protective layer for the doctor against false
allegations of inappropriate behaviour/sexual harassment.
• Trust-building - Chaperones are a way of acknowledging the
vulnerability that the patient might feel for their dignity during an
intimate physical examination.
• Assistance - Chaperones are also trained to efficiently help the general practitioner for performing examinations.
• Assurance - Chaperones are meant to provide reassurance and emotional comfort to the patient.
The
prospect of an intimate examination may result in anxiety and
embarrassment to the patient. These types of examinations require
immense care and sensitivity towards the patient's feelings and
emotional state.
Intimate examinations mostly consist of
examinations or tests being carried out on the breasts, genitals or the
rectum. Apart from this, it also includes any examination procedure
which requires the doctor to be close to the patient, such as:
• Eye examination in dim lighting
• Putting on the cuff for measuring the blood pressure
• Palpating the apex-beat, etc
It becomes important to let the patient know beforehand in clear terms as to what the specific intimate examination will entail.
It
is important for general practitioners and other medical professionals
who require performing intimate physical examinations for patients to
state their chaperoning policy clearly. It should be advertised
sufficiently through informational leaflets for patients, websites and
on notice boards inside the clinic or hospital. Ideally, it should be a
routine practice for doctors to offer the services of a medical
chaperone to every patient before starting the examination. Ensure
enhanced levels of medical practice by having an effective chaperoning
policy for your medical and healthcare centre.
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