Oklahoma's Own In Focus: A Tulsa Father's Unexpected Experience With New Medical Consent Procedures

A Tulsa father was recently asked to sign a consent form on behalf of his son, but he said it wasn't clear that he was agreeing to allow a medical student to do a pelvic exam on his infant son while he was anesthetized for an unrelated procedure.

MORE HERE: Oklahoma Lawmaker Proposes Bill To Mandate Consent For Pelvic Exams On Unconscious Female Patients

Hospital Paperwork 

Robert Norman is a father to a 6-month-old boy, who had an appointment for an MRI in early January at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He says everything was going great until the paperwork.

He was given a consent form that asks permission for medical students, residents, or others to be present and to perform procedures on unconscious patients for educational purposes.

Confusing to Read

At first, Robert was going to sign the form, as he says he is a proponent of students participating. But then he learned those procedures might be unrelated to the appointment - like pelvic, rectal or breast exams. 

"That first part, “related to the surgery” is great, but then they separate it and there’s like “examinations or invasive procedures for educational training” and that's where the wording got weird for us,” he said. 

He denied consent and felt the form wasn't clear enough.

Clear Explanations

Robert says his experience highlights the importance of providers clearly explaining consent forms.

"I think they just need to do a little bit better job of explaining those things to people before they sign them, especially when the wording is confusing...especially when it concerns such sensitive procedures,” he said.

Robert says Saint Francis Hospital has reached out to him and said they are committed to improving staff training on how to better explain the involvement of medical students and residents in procedures. 

News On 6 reached out to hospitals and medical providers in the area for a statement on the consent forms. You can find those below:

Saint Francis:

"We understand that the language in the consent form may cause some confusion for patients and families. While much of the content is mandated by federal regulations and cannot be altered, we are committed to training our staff to clearly explain the form, ensuring patients can make informed decisions."

Hillcrest:

"Hillcrest is aware of the amendment made to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital interpretive guidelines to clarify that informed patient consent is required prior to allowing health care providers to perform sensitive examinations such as breast, pelvic, prostate, and rectal examinations, particularly on patients under anesthesia. We plan to comply with the requirements laid out by CMS and have processes in place to ensure standard procedures are established and guidelines are met."

In 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued new guidelines requiring hospitals to obtain consent for "sensitive examinations," including pelvic, rectal, prostate, and breast exams, particularly for patients under anesthesia.

Hospitals that fail to follow the guidelines risk losing Medicare and Medicaid funding however, in Oklahoma, this practice is not currently prohibited by law.

Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, is working to change that. Her proposed bill would ban pelvic exams on unconscious female patients unless they are medically or surgically necessary or the patient has provided informed written consent.

Related Story: Understanding Oklahoma's HB 1018: What It Means for Women's Medical Consent

McCane also emphasized the importance of hospitals making consent forms accessible and easy for patients to understand. The bill is set to be heard when the next legislative session begins on February 3.