Ensuring Legality: Online Signature Lawfulness for Physical Exam Consent in Canada

How to eSign a document: online signature lawfulness for Physical Exam Consent in Canada

>>> NOW TO OUR NBC >>> NOW TO OUR NBC NEWS INVESTIGATION. >>> NOW TO OUR NBC NEWS INVESTIGATION. MILLIONS OF PATIENTS NEWS INVESTIGATION. MILLIONS OF PATIENTS MAY HAVE BEEN MILLIONS OF PATIENTS MAY HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO MAY HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO UNAUTHORIZED PELVIC SUBJECTED TO UNAUTHORIZED PELVIC EXAMS WHILE UNDERGOING UNAUTHORIZED PELVIC EXAMS WHILE UNDERGOING SURGERY. EXAMS WHILE UNDERGOING SURGERY. MANY NEVER EVEN FOUND SURGERY. MANY NEVER EVEN FOUND OUT. MANY NEVER EVEN FOUND OUT. BUT NOW AS STEPHANIE OUT. BUT NOW AS STEPHANIE GOSK REPORTS, SOME BUT NOW AS STEPHANIE GOSK REPORTS, SOME DOCTORS ARE SOUNDING GOSK REPORTS, SOME DOCTORS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM ABOUT THIS DOCTORS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM ABOUT THIS CONTROVERSIAL THE ALARM ABOUT THIS CONTROVERSIAL PRACTICE. CONTROVERSIAL PRACTICE. >> Reporter: SURGERY PRACTICE. >> Reporter: SURGERY CAN BE DAUNTING. >> Reporter: SURGERY CAN BE DAUNTING. PATIENTS PUT THEIR CAN BE DAUNTING. PATIENTS PUT THEIR LIVES IN DOCTORS' PATIENTS PUT THEIR LIVES IN DOCTORS' HANDS. LIVES IN DOCTORS' HANDS. DOES A PATIENT HAVE HANDS. DOES A PATIENT HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT DOES A PATIENT HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM WHEN THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM WHEN THEY ARE UNDER HAPPENS TO THEM WHEN THEY ARE UNDER ANESTHESIA? THEY ARE UNDER ANESTHESIA? >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ANESTHESIA? >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. >> Reporter: BUT ABSOLUTELY. >> Reporter: BUT ING TO DOCTORS >> Reporter: BUT ING TO DOCTORS AND MEDICAL STUDENTS ING TO DOCTORS AND MEDICAL STUDENTS NBC NEWS SPOKE WITH, AND MEDICAL STUDENTS NBC NEWS SPOKE WITH, SOMETIMES SURGERY NBC NEWS SPOKE WITH, SOMETIMES SURGERY PATIENTS ARE GIVEN ONE SOMETIMES SURGERY PATIENTS ARE GIVEN ONE OF THE MOST INTIMATE PATIENTS ARE GIVEN ONE OF THE MOST INTIMATE PROCEDURES WITHOUT OF THE MOST INTIMATE PROCEDURES WITHOUT THEIR EXPLICIT PROCEDURES WITHOUT THEIR EXPLICIT CONSENT, A PELVIC THEIR EXPLICIT CONSENT, A PELVIC EXAM. CONSENT, A PELVIC EXAM. ON THE SURFACE OF IT, EXAM. ON THE SURFACE OF IT, IT SEEMS LIKE A ON THE SURFACE OF IT, IT SEEMS LIKE A VIOLATION OF MEDICAL IT SEEMS LIKE A VIOLATION OF MEDICAL ETHICS. VIOLATION OF MEDICAL ETHICS. IS IT? ETHICS. IS IT? >> I WOULD SAY IT'S A IS IT? >> I WOULD SAY IT'S A VIOLATION OF BODILY >> I WOULD SAY IT'S A VIOLATION OF BODILY AUTONOMY, CERTAINLY. VIOLATION OF BODILY AUTONOMY, CERTAINLY. >> Reporter: IT MAY AUTONOMY, CERTAINLY. >> Reporter: IT MAY SOUND SURPRISING, BUT >> Reporter: IT MAY SOUND SURPRISING, BUT DR. JULIE CORN, AN SOUND SURPRISING, BUT DR. JULIE CORN, AN OB/GYN SAYS THE DR. JULIE CORN, AN OB/GYN SAYS THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN OB/GYN SAYS THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, PRACTICE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, ALTHOUGH EXACT NUMBERS AROUND FOR A WHILE, ALTHOUGH EXACT NUMBERS ARE HARD TO PIN DOWN, ALTHOUGH EXACT NUMBERS ARE HARD TO PIN DOWN, BECAUSE PATIENTS ARE ARE HARD TO PIN DOWN, BECAUSE PATIENTS ARE OFTEN UNAWARE, A BECAUSE PATIENTS ARE OFTEN UNAWARE, A RECENT STUDY REPORTS OFTEN UNAWARE, A RECENT STUDY REPORTS MORE THAN 3.5 MILLION RECENT STUDY REPORTS MORE THAN 3.5 MILLION MEN AND WOMEN MAY HAVE MORE THAN 3.5 MILLION MEN AND WOMEN MAY HAVE RECEIVED AN INTIMATE MEN AND WOMEN MAY HAVE RECEIVED AN INTIMATE EXAM WITHIN THE PAST RECEIVED AN INTIMATE EXAM WITHIN THE PAST THREE YEARS. EXAM WITHIN THE PAST THREE YEARS. DR. CORN SAYS THE THREE YEARS. DR. CORN SAYS THE EXAMS CAN BE A KEY DR. CORN SAYS THE EXAMS CAN BE A KEY PART OF A RESIDENT'S EXAMS CAN BE A KEY PART OF A RESIDENT'S TRAINING AND MAY BE PART OF A RESIDENT'S TRAINING AND MAY BE PERFORMED DURING TRAINING AND MAY BE PERFORMED DURING GYNECOLOGICAL PERFORMED DURING GYNECOLOGICAL PROCEDURES BECAUSE IT GYNECOLOGICAL PROCEDURES BECAUSE IT IS EASY, EVEN IF THE PROCEDURES BECAUSE IT IS EASY, EVEN IF THE PATIENT DOESN'T NEED IS EASY, EVEN IF THE PATIENT DOESN'T NEED THE PROCEDURE. PATIENT DOESN'T NEED THE PROCEDURE. >> MUSCLES OF THE THE PROCEDURE. >> MUSCLES OF THE ABDOMEN ARE MORE >> MUSCLES OF THE ABDOMEN ARE MORE RELAXED SO YOU CAN ABDOMEN ARE MORE RELAXED SO YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE ANATOMY RELAXED SO YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE ANATOMY IN AN EASIER WAY. APPRECIATE THE ANATOMY IN AN EASIER WAY. >> Reporter: BUT IN AN EASIER WAY. >> Reporter: BUT CONSENT SHOULD BE >> Reporter: BUT CONSENT SHOULD BE MANDATORY, SHE SAYS. CONSENT SHOULD BE MANDATORY, SHE SAYS. >> I WAS ASKED TO DO A MANDATORY, SHE SAYS. >> I WAS ASKED TO DO A PELVIC EXAM ON A >> I WAS ASKED TO DO A PELVIC EXAM ON A PATIENT THAT I KNOW PELVIC EXAM ON A PATIENT THAT I KNOW HADN'T CONSENTED PATIENT THAT I KNOW HADN'T CONSENTED SPECIFICALLY. HADN'T CONSENTED SPECIFICALLY. >> Reporter: DID YOU SPECIFICALLY. >> Reporter: DID YOU WANT TO DO IT? >> Reporter: DID YOU WANT TO DO IT? >> YOU KNOW, NO, I DID WANT TO DO IT? >> YOU KNOW, NO, I DID NOT. >> YOU KNOW, NO, I DID NOT. >> Reporter: DR. NOT. >> Reporter: DR. ROWINI IS HEAD OF THE >> Reporter: DR. ROWINI IS HEAD OF THE STUDENT MEDICAL ROWINI IS HEAD OF THE STUDENT MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. STUDENT MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. >> I ACTUALLY SAID NO, ASSOCIATION. >> I ACTUALLY SAID NO, I WASN'T GOING TO >> I ACTUALLY SAID NO, I WASN'T GOING TO PERFORM THIS EXAM. I WASN'T GOING TO PERFORM THIS EXAM. >> Reporter: SHE IS PERFORM THIS EXAM. >> Reporter: SHE IS AMONG THE NUMBER OF >> Reporter: SHE IS AMONG THE NUMBER OF MEDICAL STUDENTS AMONG THE NUMBER OF MEDICAL STUDENTS SPEAKING OUT. MEDICAL STUDENTS SPEAKING OUT. >> IT'S MORALLY WRONG. SPEAKING OUT. >> IT'S MORALLY WRONG. IF YOU WERE IN THAT >> IT'S MORALLY WRONG. IF YOU WERE IN THAT POSITION, WOULD YOU IF YOU WERE IN THAT POSITION, WOULD YOU WANT THAT HAPPENING TO POSITION, WOULD YOU WANT THAT HAPPENING TO YOU? WANT THAT HAPPENING TO YOU? >> Reporter: ATTENTION YOU? >> Reporter: ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE HAS LED >> Reporter: ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE HAS LED TO 25 STATES ENACTING TO THE ISSUE HAS LED TO 25 STATES ENACTING LAWS REQUIRING TO 25 STATES ENACTING LAWS REQUIRING EXPLICIT CONSENT FOR LAWS REQUIRING EXPLICIT CONSENT FOR PELVIC EXAMS ON A EXPLICIT CONSENT FOR PELVIC EXAMS ON A PATIENT UNDER PELVIC EXAMS ON A PATIENT UNDER ANESTHESIA. PATIENT UNDER ANESTHESIA. THE AMERICAN COLLEGE ANESTHESIA. THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS STATES OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS STATES THAT IF THE EXAM GYNECOLOGISTS STATES THAT IF THE EXAM OFFERS A PATIENT NO THAT IF THE EXAM OFFERS A PATIENT NO PERSONAL BENEFIT AND OFFERS A PATIENT NO PERSONAL BENEFIT AND IS PERFORMED SOLELY PERSONAL BENEFIT AND IS PERFORMED SOLELY FOR TEACHING PURPOSES, IS PERFORMED SOLELY FOR TEACHING PURPOSES, IT SHOULD BE PERFORMED FOR TEACHING PURPOSES, IT SHOULD BE PERFORMED ONLY WITH HER SPECIFIC IT SHOULD BE PERFORMED ONLY WITH HER SPECIFIC INFORMED CONSENT. ONLY WITH HER SPECIFIC INFORMED CONSENT. SOME DOCTORS HAVE INFORMED CONSENT. SOME DOCTORS HAVE RESISTED THE NEED FOR SOME DOCTORS HAVE RESISTED THE NEED FOR SPECIFIC CONSENT, RESISTED THE NEED FOR SPECIFIC CONSENT, ARGUING IT'S NOT SPECIFIC CONSENT, ARGUING IT'S NOT NECESSARY IF GENERAL ARGUING IT'S NOT NECESSARY IF GENERAL CONSENT IS GIVEN NECESSARY IF GENERAL CONSENT IS GIVEN BEFORE GOING INTO THE CONSENT IS GIVEN BEFORE GOING INTO THE OPERATION ROOM, AND BEFORE GOING INTO THE OPERATION ROOM, AND THE PELVIS DOESN'T OPERATION ROOM, AND THE PELVIS DOESN'T NEED TO BE TREATED THE PELVIS DOESN'T NEED TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN ANY NEED TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN ANY OTHER OTHER PART OF DIFFERENTLY THAN ANY OTHER OTHER PART OF THE BODY. OTHER OTHER PART OF THE BODY. BUT DR. CORE THE BODY. BUT DR. CORE DISAGREES. BUT DR. CORE DISAGREES. >> BECAUSE IF YOU ASK DISAGREES. >> BECAUSE IF YOU ASK A PATIENT HOW THEY >> BECAUSE IF YOU ASK A PATIENT HOW THEY FEEL AND WHETHER THEY A PATIENT HOW THEY FEEL AND WHETHER THEY WOULD WANT TO KNOW IF FEEL AND WHETHER THEY WOULD WANT TO KNOW IF A STUDENT WAS DOING AN WOULD WANT TO KNOW IF A STUDENT WAS DOING AN EXAM, PATIENTS A STUDENT WAS DOING AN EXAM, PATIENTS OVERWHELMINGLY SAY EXAM, PATIENTS OVERWHELMINGLY SAY YES, THIS IS OVERWHELMINGLY SAY YES, THIS IS DIFFERENT. YES, THIS IS DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: AND SHE DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: AND SHE SAYS DOCTORS SHOULD >> Reporter: AND SHE SAYS DOCTORS SHOULD LISTEN.