(025) Compliance with GMC Guidelines for the Use of a Chaperone in Urology Outpatient Clinic

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Intimate physical examination is an integral part of our urological practice. There is a paucity of literature regarding the use of chaperones among urologists. As per GMC guidelines: The offer, and use, of a chaperone, including their full name and designation, should be clearly documented in patients’ notes. Objective Given the importance of this ethical topic for both patient safety as well as in providing support for the urologist, we decided to assess our performance as per the GMC guidelines for good medical practice. Methods We completed an audit loop to evaluate the performance of 12 members in our urology team as regards compliance with GMC guidance for the documentation of chaperone use in urology clinic. Based on our scoring system, we objectively assessed both overall team performance as well as individual scores for documenting chaperone use. • For each urologist, We checked records for 10 patients who attended urology clinic AND had a physical examination as evidenced in the notes and/or clinic letter •N= 120 patient records checked • Each urologist was given a score; NO mention of a chaperone= 0 point A chaperone JUST mentioned= 1 point The chaperone specified (name/signature)= 2 points Results Initial audit revealed overall chaperone documentation in clinical notes was 75.25% which may be acceptable while in the clinic letters, it was only 14.6%. At individual level, results were quiet variable reflecting the actual difference in practice between individuals in real life. Following the discussion of the 1st audit results in the urology clinical governance meeting, posters were made to raise awareness of the audit outcome as well as direct discussions with the urology team members to encourage them to improve their score. Six months later, re-audit showed significant improvement was achieved for individual as well as overall documentation to 85% of clinical notes and more than 50% of clinic letters. Conclusions Documenting chaperone presence during patient examination in urology clinics, is mandatory given the intimate nature of urological examination. We present the first report using a scoring system for objective assessment of a pertinent topic such as the use of chaperone and its documentation. This managed to achieve a significant improvement in our practice in accordance with GMC guidance for Good Medical Practice. Disclosure No.