Back to Search
Start Over
Routine bimanual pelvic examinations: practices and beliefs of US obstetrician-gynecologists.
- Source :
-
American journal of obstetrics and gynecology [Am J Obstet Gynecol] 2013 Feb; Vol. 208 (2), pp. 109.e1-7. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Nov 22. - Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Objective: Less-than-annual cervical cancer screening is now recommended for most US women, raising questions about the need for routine annual bimanual pelvic examinations. Little is known about clinicians' bimanual pelvic examination practices, their beliefs about its importance, or the reasoning underlying its performance in asymptomatic women.<br />Study Design: We conducted a nationwide survey of US obstetrician-gynecologists. Respondents (n = 521) reported their examination practices and beliefs based on vignettes for asymptomatic women across the lifespan.<br />Results: Nearly all obstetrician-gynecologists perform bimanual pelvic examinations in asymptomatic women across the lifespan, although it is viewed as less important for a newly sexually active 18-year-old. Reasons cited as very important included adherence to standard medical practices (45%), patient reassurance (49%), detection of ovarian cancer (47%), and identification of benign uterine (59%) and ovarian (54%) conditions.<br />Conclusion: Obstetrician-gynecologists perform bimanual pelvic examinations in the vast majority of asymptomatic women, but the importance placed on the examinations and reasons for conducting them vary.<br /> (Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Adult
Female
Genital Diseases, Female prevention & control
Health Care Surveys
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Ovarian Neoplasms diagnosis
Ovarian Neoplasms prevention & control
United States
Genital Diseases, Female diagnosis
Gynecological Examination statistics & numerical data
Gynecology standards
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Obstetrics standards
Practice Patterns, Physicians' statistics & numerical data
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1097-6868
- Volume :
- 208
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 23159688
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2012.11.015