oldbones - 5/24/2015 11:07

I'm getting in on this discussion late it the game, but here's my input.
My wife doesn't go to the doctor's office with me, unless on the rare occassion I have to see a specialist or a potential serious problem is possible. Same when she goes to doctor.
In either case, if there has to be an "in depth" examination, ie: prostate, OB/GYN, breast exam, etc, I don't want my wife in there when the exam is going on, and I won't stay in the room while she is being examined. Just common courtesy and dignity is my thought. It's bad enough that the process has to happen in the first place, but an audience doesn't make it easier. I've had prostate and DOT exams by both male and female Drs, wife has had both male and female Drs examine her.
I extended the same courtesy when Dad was in the nursing home- I left the room when the exams were happening.
I've found that when someone accompanies a patient to the Dr's office, they know that the accompanist is there to listen to the prognosis and help the patient remember and understand what is being said. They have the accompanist come back in the room right after the exam before discussing it.
When I've ever had anything serious (rarely and luckily), my ears and brain were not always in tune with the discussion, and wife was doing the real listening.
I'm not saying what is right or wrong as far as Dr visits, to me it's an individual situation.
I will say that about 10 years ago during a DOT physical, I had a young female doctor. Every physical I'd had in the past required the "turn your head and cough" hernia thing. As she was in front of me poking around, I figured that was next, so dropped the drawers. She looked up, smiled, and pleasantly said "We don't do that part anymore.". Wow, talk about emabarrased. If the wife was there, it would have been even more so. I'm glad she wasn't there to remind me of it now.
My two cents