Discrepancy between physicians' perceptions and practices during pelvic examinations in Taiwan.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Communication
• Gynecology

Background:

• Pelvic examinations (PEs) are crucial gynecological procedures.
• Understanding physician perceptions and practices is vital for improving patient experience and care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore physicians' perceptions of pelvic examination (PE) procedures.
• To identify discrepancies between physicians' perceived importance of PE procedures and their actual practices observed by nurses.

Main Methods:

• 20 physicians completed questionnaires on the importance of 23 PE procedures.
• 100 nurse observations assessed physicians' practices of the same 23 PE procedures.
• Mann-Whitney U test analyzed discrepancies between perceptions and practices.

Main Results:

• Physicians generally perceived PE procedures as important.
• Top-ranked procedures included privacy, confidentiality, and agreement.
• Lower-ranked procedures involved verbal explanations and affective communication during the exam.
• Physicians' practices aligned with perceived importance for procedural aspects but showed inconsistency in affective elements.

Conclusions:

• Physicians prioritize procedural aspects of PEs over affective communication.
• Observed practices were consistent with perceived importance for procedural elements but less so for affective ones.
• Medical education should integrate training on both procedural and affective behaviors in PEs.