One of the difficulties of the doctor’s work, not to mention the technical part, is telling the patients and their loved ones about the diagnosis. The matter gets even worse when the patient has a severe disorder and is terminally ill. People in Asian culture believe that it is better to retain the patients uninformed. However, it is ethically wrong to deprive them unaware. The professional faces a dilemma of a decision to inform or to keep the diagnosis secret. This essay aims to consider arguments for both and make a subsequent conclusion.
The doctor should keep loyalty to the cultural beliefs and not tell the patient about the probable outcomes of his or her situation. As Murray (2012) has noted, it is difficult to achieve the patient’s full understanding of the diagnosis, its possible outcome, and complications. In such a way, it might be reasonable to disclose the information partially or even fully keep it, as the patient’s faith in treatment and recovery can psychologically help to improve his or her condition (Edwin, 2008). The doctor can significantly improve the health of patients with mental health problems by giving them a positivity dose (Beltran-Aroca et al., 2016). Moreover, the grieved patient can refuse to take medications as the feeling of despair can distract them from active treatment. All in all, non-disclosure of the patient’s state can be a reasonable measure in treatment structure.
On the other hand, violating the patient’s right to know his condition can be immoral and even illegal. According to Blightman et al. (2014), the court can punish the doctors if they keep their terminally ill patients uninformed. Murray (2012) summarised that legally the doctor needs to disclose the following information: the condition that is being treated, the nature and the mode of treatment, the expected results, possible risks, complications, and consequences. Furthermore, given the patients’ feelings, disclosure of the information can help to build trustful relationships and a conducive atmosphere for improving the health condition. As a result, informing the patient about his or her diagnosis is extremely important.
There is a way to balance the two contrary positions above. Firstly, the doctor should make a detailed explanation of the patient’s condition with the possible treatment. This measure is essential because the patient should trust his doctor instead of thinking to consult with multiple doctors and wasting his precious time (Blightman et al., 2014). Secondly, the doctor should be able to evaluate the level of illness severity and choose what non-disclosure of information can help to keep the patient’s mindset in a positive mood. The doctor can achieve this by consulting and close cooperation with the psychologist (Murray, 2012). Finally, the professional should consider appealing to the family and close friends of the patient. This method is especially crucial for patients who are reluctant to treatment. If the patient does not believe in a bright future, and any improvement of his condition, the effectiveness of all other measures can become pointless (Beltran-Aroca et al., 2016). The named steps altogether are a subtle way to handle the dilemma.
To conclude, doctors always struggle with the choice to inform or keep the information secret. There are both moral and legal sides of this problem. Generally, it is better to disclose the details of the patient’s illness history partially and keep the information that can be detrimental. The joint work of the doctor and psychologist helps to recover quickly.
References
Beltran-Aroca, C.M., Girela-Lopez, E., & Collazo-Chao, E. (2016). Confidentiality breaches in clinical practice: what happens in hospitals?. BMC Med Ethics, 17(52):44-56.
Blightman, K., Griffiths, S.E., & Danbury, C. (2014). Patient confidentiality: when can a breach be justified? Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain, 14(2), 52-56.
Edwin, A.K. (2008). Don’t Lie but Don’t Tell the Whole Truth: The Therapeutic Privilege – Is It Ever Justified? Ghana Medical Journal, 42(4), 156-161. Web.
Murray, B. (2012). Informed Consent: What Must a Physician Disclose to a Patient? American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, 14(7), 563-566.