By: David Davidson
As of July 1, 2020, all Florida health care providers, and providers in training, are now required to obtain written consent from their patients (or their legal representatives) before performing a pelvic exam. The only exceptions to this requirement are when the exam is done pursuant to a court order, or in cases of emergency. Given the broad application of the new law, it is imperative for any provider who may need to perform a pelvic exam on a patient, even if it’s a fairly rare occurrence, to be ready to obtain the consent.
The law grew out of concerns for improper actions taken against sedated patients. And as initially proposed, it only covered pelvic exams performed in training settings. However, the legislature expanded the scope to include all settings and all providers.Continue reading
