Medical practices should maintain clear policies regarding the use of chaperones during physical examinations—and ensure those policies are consistently followed and documented.
Under the Georgia Composite Medical Board’s chaperone rule, a chaperone must be present during an examination of a patient’s breast or genitalia unless the patient, parent or guardian specifically requests otherwise. If a chaperone is declined, the request should be documented in the patient’s medical record. Physicians may also decline to conduct the examination without a chaperone present.
Practices should inform patients that they may request a chaperone for other examinations and should honor those requests. Whenever possible, an authorized health professional should serve as the chaperone. Practices should also establish expectations regarding patient privacy and confidentiality and provide patients with an opportunity to speak privately with their physician.
SSP’s client brief provides additional guidance to help practices review their chaperone policies, procedures and documentation practices.
Review the SSP Client Brief: Chaperones.
This information is provided as a risk management resource and should not be interpreted as legal advice. Practices should consult legal counsel regarding their specific policies and circumstances.