Patient Consent for Medical Student Pelvic Exams under Anesthesia: An Exploratory Retrospective Chart Review

Area of Science:

• Medical ethics
• Gynecologic surgery
• Patient consent

Background:

• Pelvic examinations under anesthesia (EUAs) are performed by medical students during gynecologic procedures.
• Patient consent for EUAs is crucial for maintaining bodily integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine patient choices regarding consent for medical student EUAs during gynecologic surgery.
• To identify factors influencing patient decisions to permit or refuse EUA consent.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of electronic consent forms from an academic medical center.
• Analysis of 4,000 patient records from September 2020 to December 2022.
• Logistic regression and nonparametric tests to explore consent relationships.

Main Results:

• Out of 3,858 analyzed patients, 14.2% refused or limited consent for EUAs at least once.
• Nine patients limited consent to female students; two refused all student participation.
• Exploratory analyses investigated demographic differences in consent rates.

Conclusions:

• Patient refusal rates for EUAs vary, highlighting the importance of informed consent.
• Failure to obtain consent can cause dignitary harm, particularly for vulnerable populations.
• Physicians must ethically inform patients and obtain explicit permission for EUAs.