PHLB09H3 Chapter : ns4.pdf
Document Summary
Might lead the patient to chose the wrong treatment. The patient might not be able to understand the diagnosis: denial, children/dementia: many of these situations may fall under bene cence. Reason for truth telling: interference with the patient s ability to choose. Writing a will and wrapping up their life for the last days of it: informed patients are better patients; if the treatment is going to be painful it is good for them to know ahead of time. If you have a medical condition that requires extensive treatment, you know why all of this is happening and will have a more determined responsibility to do the things that will make you feel better. Different words that may be involved in diagnosing the treatment may sway the way we view the diagnosis (some people hear cancer and think death sentence: placebo effect: the power of suggestion. One of the most powerful tools at the physician s disposal.
