Beyond technical skills: women’s expectations regarding the relational dimensions prior to gynecologic examinations
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Gynecologic examinations expose women to particular vulnerability, making relational and ethical aspects essential beyond technical skills. While professional societies outline recommended behaviors, the importance women attribute to these non-technical elements remains insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to assess how women value key relational components of gynecologic examinations. METHODS: In this exploratory cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was developed from gynecologic and ethical guidelines, and distributed via QR codes in outpatient gynecology and general practice settings. Eleven items (Q1-Q11) were rated on a numeric scale (0-10). Principal component analysis (PCA) assessed internal coherence and identified thematic dimensions. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted, including stratification by age and prior gynecologic examination. RESULTS: A total of 540 women participated (mean age 37 ± 10 years). PCA identified three dimensions: consent (Q1, Q5, Q9-Q11), privacy (Q6-Q8), and feelings/experience (Q2-Q4). Consent-related items received the highest scores (all >9/10 except Q1). Privacy items showed greater variability, with lower importance assigned by women over 50 to partial undressing (p = 0.006) and draping (p = 0.007), while women undergoing their first examination assigned greater importance to undressing out of the provider's sight (p = 0.01). Feelings-related items were more heterogeneous, although attention to patients' feelings during the examination was highly rated (9.7 ± 0.8). CONCLUSION: Women consistently prioritized explicit and ongoing consent and sustained attention to their feelings. Privacy was also important, though more variable. These findings support the integration and structured assessment of non-technical competencies in training related to gynecologic examinations.
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BibTeX
@article{zenou2026beyond,
title = {{Beyond technical skills: women’s expectations regarding the relational dimensions prior to gynecologic examinations}},
author = {Julie Zenou and Clémentine Jouffray and Rodrigo Lisboa and Aude Martin and Ludovic Martin and Valentin Lacombe},
journal = {Patient Education and Counseling},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1016/j.pec.2026.110359},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05850233v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Beyond technical skills: women’s expectations regarding the relational dimensions prior to gynecologic examinations
AU - Julie Zenou
AU - Clémentine Jouffray
AU - Rodrigo Lisboa
AU - Aude Martin
AU - Ludovic Martin
AU - Valentin Lacombe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2026.110359
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05850233v1
AB - INTRODUCTION: Gynecologic examinations expose women to particular vulnerability, making relational and ethical aspects essential beyond technical skills. While professional societies outline recommended behaviors, the importance women attribute to these non-technical elements remains insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to assess how women value key relational components of gynecologic examinations. METHODS: In this exploratory cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was developed from gynecologic and ethical guidelines, and distributed via QR codes in outpatient gynecology and general practice settings. Eleven items (Q1-Q11) were rated on a numeric scale (0-10). Principal component analysis (PCA) assessed internal coherence and identified thematic dimensions. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted, including stratification by age and prior gynecologic examination. RESULTS: A total of 540 women participated (mean age 37 ± 10 years). PCA identified three dimensions: consent (Q1, Q5, Q9-Q11), privacy (Q6-Q8), and feelings/experience (Q2-Q4). Consent-related items received the highest scores (all >9/10 except Q1). Privacy items showed greater variability, with lower importance assigned by women over 50 to partial undressing (p = 0.006) and draping (p = 0.007), while women undergoing their first examination assigned greater importance to undressing out of the provider's sight (p = 0.01). Feelings-related items were more heterogeneous, although attention to patients' feelings during the examination was highly rated (9.7 ± 0.8). CONCLUSION: Women consistently prioritized explicit and ongoing consent and sustained attention to their feelings. Privacy was also important, though more variable. These findings support the integration and structured assessment of non-technical competencies in training related to gynecologic examinations.
SN - 0738-3991
ER -