The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced updated guidelines regarding required written consent from patients for certain exams.
Hospitals must obtain written consent from patients before performing certain examinations, including pelvic, prostate, breast, and rectal, especially if the patient is under anesthesia, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in a memorandum on Monday.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra addressed the updated guidance in a letter to the nation’s teaching hospitals and medical schools. The memorandum was published through the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
“The Department is aware of media reports as well as medical and scientific literature highlighting instances where, as part of medical students’ study and training, patients have been subjected to sensitive and intimate examinations—including pelvic, breast, prostate, or rectal…
