The Attitudes and Practices of General Practitioners about the Use of Chaperones in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Introduction. To consider the use of medical chaperones during certain clinical examinations is important whether one practises as a specialist, nurse, medical student, or generalist. Chaperones have been used by doctors conducting intimate examinations for many years but their true extent remains largely unknown. Until recently, there was no national guidance in Australia. Aim. To explore the attitudes and practices of general practitioners (GP) regarding their use of chaperones in urban Melbourne, Australia. Method. Qualitative two focus groups involving seventeen GPs from two locations. Discussions were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed. Results. Common themes and subthemes emerged which were grouped into three main areas: (a) practitioner-related, (b) patient-related and (c) practice related. Discussion. This is the first study from an Australian primary care perspective to gauge the attitudes and experiences of GPs on their use of chaperones. It will provide vital information to inform the next step of extending this research to a national GP audience. From an international perspective, this study provides an excellent template for other primary care clinicians to conduct research in this important field of doctor-patient relationship.

The use of chaperones in general practice: Is this just a ‘Western’ concept?

“…This study used a semi-structured questionnaire piloted previously. 4 Participants were all practising GPs attending the 20th WONCA World Conference held in Prague on 25-29 June 2013.…”

“…Up to now, the majority of research has stemmed from English-speaking countries only. [3][4][5][6][7] This pilot work shows that there are clear differences why some practitioners offer and/or use chaperones, whilst others do not. There is a need to extend this research internationally, aiming to tease out the reasons for this.…”

“…1 More remarkable, though, is that there is very limited information about whether chaperones are used in certain parts of the world, if at all. 4 Our aim therefore was to explore the attitudes and experiences of a group of international GPs attending a world primary care conference in 2013 regarding their use of medical chaperones in clinical practice.…”

What should GPs be doing about chaperones?

“…In addition, there is limited information about whether chaperones are used in some countries of the world. 6 The research literature about medical chaperones in general practice is limited to a handful of predominately English-speaking countries. [4][5][6][7][8] However, one would be naïve to think that sexual misconduct only occurs in these Anglosphere countries.…”

“…6 The research literature about medical chaperones in general practice is limited to a handful of predominately English-speaking countries. [4][5][6][7][8] However, one would be naïve to think that sexual misconduct only occurs in these Anglosphere countries. This is evidenced by the number of medical negligence claims and episodes of sexual misconduct by doctors that have been reported beyond these predominately English-speaking countries.…”