Olewinski Luci, Hartmann Stephanie, McKenzie Savannah, Lewis Shannon, Saxon Grace, Heidel Robert Eric, Ahmed Fatima
University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Piedmont Healthcare Inc., Department of Family Medicine, Newnan, Georgia, USA.
Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle). 2025 May 12;6(1):556-563. doi: 10.1089/whr.2025.0030. eCollection 2025.
Patient-centered care is a core value of both Family Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology. We sought to know if patients prefer being offered a mirror to see their cervix and external genitalia during asymptomatic speculum exams (Mirror Pelvic Exam, MPE). Additionally, we explored clinicians' (medical assistants, residents, and faculty) opinions about offering patients a mirror during exams.
The patient portion was a cross-sectional mixed-methods survey of people presenting for cervical cancer screening at a residency-based Family Medicine Clinic. Patients took a presurvey, were offered a mirror to see their external genitalia and/or their cervix during the exam, and then took a post-survey. The clinician portion was a mixed-methods survey given at the initiation of the study and after the four-month patient survey period.
While only half the patients ( = 22) accepted the use of a mirror, the majority preferred being offered and felt offering a mirror should be a routine part of the well-exam. Being offered a mirror did not bother anyone. Free responses further emphasized that patients preferred being offered the MPE. Over half of clinicians ( = 51) felt the MPE was a good idea, but only a third felt it would improve patient satisfaction. Some did not offer the MPE due to thinking patients would not want the option, lack of comfort with the MPE, or concerns about slowing down clinic flow.
Patients prefer being offered the MPE while clinicians did not have insight into patients' preferences. Our results suggest clinician perceptions about offering the MPE are a barrier to the MPE as a standard of care.
以患者为中心的医疗是家庭医学和妇产科的核心价值观。我们试图了解患者在无症状窥器检查（镜检盆腔检查，MPE）期间是否希望使用镜子来查看自己的宫颈和外生殖器。此外，我们还探讨了临床医生（医学助理、住院医师和教员）对于在检查时为患者提供镜子的看法。
患者部分是对一家以住院医师为主的家庭医学诊所中前来进行宫颈癌筛查的人群进行的横断面混合方法调查。患者在检查前进行了预调查，在检查期间被提供镜子以查看其外生殖器和/或宫颈，然后进行了检查后调查。临床医生部分是在研究开始时和为期四个月的患者调查期结束后进行的混合方法调查。
虽然只有一半的患者（n = 22）接受使用镜子，但大多数患者希望被提供镜子，并认为提供镜子应该是健康检查的常规部分。提供镜子并没有困扰任何人。自由回答进一步强调患者更喜欢接受镜检盆腔检查。超过一半的临床医生（n = 51）认为镜检盆腔检查是个好主意，但只有三分之一的人认为这会提高患者满意度。一些人没有提供镜检盆腔检查是因为认为患者不会想要这个选择、对镜检盆腔检查不自在，或者担心会减缓诊所的流程。
患者更喜欢接受镜检盆腔检查，而临床医生并不了解患者的偏好。我们的结果表明，临床医生对提供镜检盆腔检查的看法是将其作为一种护理标准的障碍。
