In some communities,there are cultural beliefs that undermine conventional medicine practices.Let's say you had a patient with terminal illness, but the family wishes you not to tell him/her. What would you do and how would you go by doing it? Would you tell the patient or keep queit and respect the family's wishes?
2006-09-08 16:00:39 · 22 answers · asked by crazy08 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
listen to the family b/c the family knows how the patient will react to such knowledge about his/her own health
2006-09-08 16:06:39 · answer #1 · answered by aznxpranksta69 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the circumstance. I'm not sure if I could mislead someone. Not telling them is the same as lying. Some cultures are different but I think for me every case is different. I think its OK if the patient is very close to death and then I would not have a problem respecting the families wishes. On the other hand, if the patient had some quality of life left (age is also an issue) I would think that no matter what their families beliefs are, the patient has the right to know their demise. I think that the only way I would feel comfortable not saying anything is if it was a child and someone who was incoherent. This is really a tough call. We have rules to go by as well and even though we would like to protect our loved ones from the pain of knowing the inevitable, I understand that but it doesn't mean it is ethical. Great question!
2006-09-08 16:14:49 · answer #2 · answered by CTMEDS 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would depend on the age of the patient & how likely the patient is to suffer a doctors first priority should always be the patient not the family's wishes unless the family has good sound reasons why the patients should not know like a mental illness or if the patients is too young
2006-09-08 16:04:58 · answer #3 · answered by madamspud169 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is really a hard question to answer. It would be totally up to the doctor, I think. If the patient is a total nervous wreck & it would send them into a mental spin, I would say, "No.".
The family is not the patient. If the patient asks, he should be told the truth. I have had patients who would not ask because they didn't want to hear the truth.
I have also seen people who know they are dying but refuse to talk about it with their spouse as they don't want to upset him/her. Also a spouse who knows but doesn't tell same patient. They really lost out on precious time spent together comforting each other.
2006-09-08 16:06:43 · answer #4 · answered by Da Bomb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you there to respect the family or to respect the patient? If you are trying to cover both grounds, I think I would ask the patient if he would want to know if he had a terminal illness or not. If he doesn't want to know then don't tell him, if he does tell him. It isn't the family you should be worrying about, it is the adult that you are treating who should have the final say in his own life.
2006-09-08 16:03:42 · answer #5 · answered by Sheila V 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would respect family wishes unless the patient specifically asks.
When my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer I wanted to tell him. The doc that performed the surgical biopsy (1/2 lung removed)wasn't around any way by the time he awoke. He looked at me and asked "was it benign?"so I told him,I held him, and we cried.We decided to "kick its *** and send it on its way". Unfortunately thats not how it happened.
A few weeks went by and he said "if you want a prognosis, then ask but don't tell me".He didn't want to know how much time they thought he had left. They were wrong anyway. It was estimated 6 months, it was only about 7 weeks.
2006-09-08 16:15:40 · answer #6 · answered by iamjustme 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd do what I'm legally bound to. Under noral circumstances, I'd tell the patient and only the patient of his condition. How did the family find out before the patient?
2006-09-08 16:03:35 · answer #7 · answered by something 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not tell: Patient lives life normally and does not know about his diesease+ respect the family's wishes
Tell: Patient is sad but lives life to it's best( night clubs, rare food, gourmet, and time for praying before death)
I VERY VERY VERY HIGHLY recommend seeing "Ikiru" a kurusawa film on this subject that was very beautiful.
2006-09-08 16:04:28 · answer #8 · answered by Mezmerize 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oooh ouch, you tell the person. In todays day and age there is something called doctor-patient confidentiality. The family shouldn't be keeping the information from this person anyway, my best suggestion is to call him/her in for a check up and, when you're in the office with him/her then tell them the truth.
2006-09-08 16:03:11 · answer #9 · answered by winds_of_justice 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is it going to change if the patient has some time of hope?
Too many variables. Depends on the person, mental stability and your intuition.
2006-09-08 16:04:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need to tell the patient! let the patient tell the family if the patient wants to!
2006-09-08 16:04:15 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋