Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Wn8VVry4R/ Hospitals and medical schools across the US opened up e-letters on April 1st from the Department of Health and Human Services, and it was no April Fool’s joke.  The letter heralded guidance rules and regulations regarding the new requirement for a patient’s written informed consent to any and all “sensitive and intimate examinations including pelvic, breast, prostate, and rectal” particularly those performed under anesthesia by all staff and trainees. The medical necessity for these exams should be explained to the patient before signing is requested whether the exam is planned for the immediate future or was conducted due to unforeseen circumstances while the patient was under anesthesia.  In all circumstances, you, as the patient, have the right to refuse consent for such examinations by licensed providers and/or by trainees including medical students, fellows, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and student nurses. So expect to be asked to sign