Higgs Case

Because some patients may suffer side effects when doctors tell them they will, it is the doctor’s fault if they feel ill. However, doctors should still tell patients the truth in a way that keeps up the patients’ motivation, and minimizes their anxiety and stress levels. This allows people to be in the know about their health, without planting ideas in their head that will make them feel worse.

I think it’s a part of the doctors’ responsibility to keep a good professional relationship with one’s patients. Collins states “those who do not want to know, and who if they were told would be injured by it; those who are wholly incapable of receiving the truth.” (pg.193). Going back to the client relationship models Collins believes that doctors should use a parent model on their patients. The parent model is when doctors have more experience and knowledge that they use to make decisions without telling the patients about their own health as if they were a child. This model and view basically strips the patient from autonomy and the choice of making his or her own decisions. In a whole, this premise is wrong because patients should have the right to make their own decisions when it comes to their own health.

The ethical conflict presented at Paradise Hills Medical Center (PHPM) was about truth telling. The factors that contributed to the ethical conflict were: (i) patients were labeled as “terminal”, so the physicians felt it was going to be counterproductive to patients’ health to know about the medical error. (ii) Physicians were more worried about the consequences that the oncology program would have than the right of the patient to know about the possible implications of radiation overdosing.

Currently, most people generally accept a doctor’s word as truth and do not question him or her. When it comes to the medical field, patients can often feel overwhelmed by all the confusing medical terms being thrown at them, so they tend to sit back and do as the doctor says. Healthcare professionals sometimes take advantage of this fact and withhold important information from their patients. For instance, a study conducted by Lisa Lezzoni, MD, and her peers states that more than half of physicians lied to their patients about their diagnosis to put a more positive spin on it (Lezzoni, Rao, DesRoches, Vogeli, and Campbell). Healthcare professionals should disclose to the patient any information pertaining to the patient.

Describe health care condition/problem (ie pathophysiology) as told to you by the health care professional

The advantages of disclosing the diagnosis to the patient is that it allows her to decide the appropriate treatment course that she believes would be best for her. On the other hand, the corollary of beneficence, the principle of non-maleficence, states that one should do no harm (Yoder-Wise, 2011, p. 92). “Telling about poor prognosis to the patient may cause psychological harm to her. Therefore, in this situation the action of nurse by withholding truth about her diagnosis may enhance patient care and prevent harm” (Punjani, 2013, p. 2).

Good communication between physician and patient is vital for a patient to make an informed choice regarding their care.

Patients come to the physician because of a problem that they are having and with that notion they are prepared to give full details of their problem. Giving information to the medical staff is a

First, disclosure of information to the patient will sometimes increase the likelihood of depression and physical deterioration, or result in the choice of medically inoptimal treatment. Second, disclosure of information is therefore sometimes likely to be detrimental to the patient’s health, and perhaps hasten his death. Third, health and prolonged life can be assumed to have priority among preferences for patients who place themselves under physicians’ care. Fourth, Worsening health or hastening death can therefore be assumed to be contrary to patients’ own true value orderings. Lastly, paternalism is therefore justified: doctor may sometimes override patients’ prima facie rights to information about their risks and treatments or about their own conditions in order to prevent harm (Vaughn, 96.)

The next aspect of truthfulness is sincerity. Sincerity is defined as the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy (freedictonary.com, 2014). Sincerity is honesty, free of criticism and spreading non truths. Sincerity allows us to be genuine and accepted for whom we are, not by pretending to be what we aren’t. There are no motives behind our message when we are being sincere. Being sincere in our communication is an expression of honesty from which we understand and accept within ourselves.

Patients not told about life threating illness or disease because it could worsen their condition

It will as well cause less patients to come to your clinic in the long run. In conclusion, Collins’ argues that physicians should lie to their patients and I disagree with this because I believe that physicians should

However, a Kantian doctor will say that is immoral and he should tell the truth about the person’s diagnosis. It is the duty of the doctor to be honest to his/her patients. Also, we should respect a patient’s own right to decide for his/her life. We cannot use the patient as mean to achieve other ends which is the greatest happiness of the people involved. One may argue that utilitarian consider long term consequences if doctor lie. Although this is true, we must not forget sometime long term consequence is not uncovered. When long term consequences are not known, we cannot make a moral decision, where as Kant’s approach concern about the duty of doctor instead of outcome of the action.

There are a number of key elements that help to provide a framework that enhances truthful communication. Firstly, there is the need to develop open and honest communication from the very beginning of the patient-health professional relationship. Secondly, the health professional needs to use patient penchant as a “weigh” by asking them what they wish to know, how much they wish to know, and determining what they already know. In other words, it is a responsibility of the health professional to get a ‘feel’ for the situation, including the patients’ perception of the situation (Ashcroft, Dawson & Drape 2007).

Doctors think that they have the right not to tell the truth to their patients because of their paternalistic view. They point at patients’ misunderstanding of diagnosis because of the esoteric information and patients’ lacking of making best choices due to their illnesses or medicine to support this view. Although these are true, doctors just think for one side and they generalize it. To go into further detail, knowing the truth is a