Vaginal exams are not a medical procedure that many patients look forward to. Medical equipment is used to examine a woman’s most personal area, something that she herself likely does not do. Aside from the physical discomfort, vaginal exams can make patients feel uncomfortable because the position and nature of the exam can make them feel awkwardly vulnerable and there is a certain degree of natural anxiety when it comes to inspecting reproductive organs.

Patient comfort is important to patient satisfaction and building and retaining a client base. SurgiLube surgical lubricant is made with patient safety and comfort in mind. Join us as we offer some insight on how to help make your patients as comfortable as possible during a vaginal exam.

Talk her through it.

One of the most important things to improving bedside manner, increasing patient satisfaction and compliance, and making your job easier and quicker, is to talk your patient through any procedure. Let them know what you are going to do, what they should expect, and how long it should take the Korean information a person has, the more comfortable they tend to be. Talking can help decrease anxiety and awkwardness as well.

Be gentle.

Being gentle is a great tip for any procedure. Not only does being gentle help improve patient comfort, but it can also help avoid complications and unnecessary injury. Being gentle does not mean that you have to use a minimal touch approach or that you have to do things slowly, it simply means that you should do things deliberately and while paying attention to anatomy and how your movements influence pain.

Be quick.

Vaginal exams should always be performed so quickly as possible to reduce how long the speculum is inside. You should not rush or move frantically, but you should be completely prepared to perform the entire exam quickly and limit the time your patient is being examined. For instance, wait to discuss findings after the exam is complete.

Use quality lube.

Not all medical lubricants are the same! Using a water-based surgical lubricant with a high viscosity is the best to use for the insertion of any medical device. SurgiLube surgical lubricant is not only slick and comfortable for your patients, but is also hypoallergenic and safe to use on any material of instrument including metal, plastic, and silicone without damaging the equipment. Additionally, it will not compromise the integrity of your gloves or leave any oily residue. Your patients will appreciate that it will not clump or flake and washes away easily after the exam is complete.

Warm the equipment.

This is the only tip on our list that is purely for patient comfort and has no medical indication. Warming the speculum provides superior patient comfort, but should only be done if it is safe. For example, metal speculums should only be warmed to room temperature. You can hand warm speculums prior to insertion if your facility does not have a way to keep medical equipment warm. The room and blankets can be warmed, but also may not be feasible. Your hands should be at least warm to the touch, using warm tap water when you wash your hands prior to the exam or by rubbing them together, never breathe on your hands prior to touching a patient. Many medical lubricants, such as Surgilube Surgical Lubricant, can be warmed without affecting its bacteriostatic properties.

At HR Pharmaceuticals, we are proud to be the industry’s leader and go-to company for high-quality medical lubricants that make exams more comfortable for patients and the medical professional’s job easier. To stock your practice, shop our entire line of medical lubricants online today!