Institution desires to foster a culture of safety and respect within osteopathic clinical skills training sessions. These campus teaching sessions may include osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), peer to peer physical examination skills and simulated patient encounters, leading to development of skills as a practicing physician.
This document represents best practices as it pertains to faculty, student, standardized patient consent and informed consent. There are different areas where this applies: the on-campus osteopathic clinical learning environment (including the osteopathic skills lab, osteopathic skills lab and simulation center), and at CHSU sponsored activities. This includes the following yet is not exclusionary to other forms of educational techniques/methods: osteopathic diagnosis and treatment, osteopathic history and physical examination, use of diagnostic equipment (including ultrasound, stethoscope, electrocardiogram, etc.).and procedural skills.
Expectations for the beginning and upper-level osteopathic clinical courses are stated within the respective course syllabi as well as the student and faculty handbooks. Expectations include that for professional conduct, peer physical examination, examination and interaction with standardized patients, and acceptable lab and simulation center attire. While participating in CHSU educational activities and sponsored events, students and faculty are representatives of CHSU and are expected to adhere to the professional standards as stated in the respective handbooks.
Students are expected to consent and act as practice partners for their peers and near peers. This collegial and reciprocal learning environment helps ensure that students receive the opportunity to prepare for the diversity found in clinical clerkships and other physician training environments. Since students must be able to examine and treat patients regardless of gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, and other factors, it is expected that students will participate in classes that include students of different backgrounds.
To promote an environment of safety and respect, a student may decline permission for a classmate to perform a physical examination, procedure, or treatment. Students are encouraged to provide feedback to support peer and near peer learning and to share if the examination, procedure, or treatment caused them to feel uncomfortable. Students may also request a fellow student to stop an examination, procedure or treatment without penalty or reprisal. Refusal or stopping an examination, procedure, or treatment will not impact the student’s grade. If reasons are known beforehand, an accommodation may be granted by the course director or department chair. The procedure to do so is listed in the respective syllabi.
Standardized Patients (SPs) may also opt-out of participating in the history and physical examination process. SPs are to notify the Standardized Patient Educator and Simulation Center Director.
During the course of regular educational instruction or community engagement, if a student or faculty member expresses a concern or discovers an incidental finding that is of concern, on a classmate, a standardized patient, or a community member the supervising clinical faculty member will be alerted. If it is determined that the finding is not of an urgent nature, the patient model/clinical patient will be referred to their primary care/health care provider by that supervising physician faculty. If it is determined that the finding is urgent then referral to the nearest emergency room and/or activation of the appropriate emergency response system will occur.
All suspected findings of concern will be kept confidential by the supervising physician faculty.
Due to the unknown effects of repeated ultrasound exposure to a fetus, student practice of abdominal and/or pelvic ultrasound on pregnant or suspected pregnant patients/models is prohibited except when performed under the direct supervision of qualified individuals in the clinical learning environment.