The Department of Health and Human Services has come out firing against a practice it says violates the privacy and dignity of patients in health care settings across America. The New York Times reports that on Monday, the federal agency sent out a letter to the nation's med schools and teaching hospitals blasting the practice of pelvic exams, prostate exams, and other sensitive procedures done without the explicit consent of patients, especially those who are anesthetized.
- Investigation: The Times cites its own 2020 review that found doctors, residents, and hospitals sometimes carry out such exams when a patient is under and when the exam isn't medically required. Some of those exams seemed to be "only for the educational benefit of medical trainees."