Telling the Truth to Patients about their Medical Situatin

Does the doctor must tell the truth directly to the patient regardless of the families' wishes? Or maybe the doctor should tell the truth first to the patient and just after that to the family? Ruiping Fan and Benfu Li’s article tries to arguing if the doctor should or should not tell the truth to the patient. In my opinion, patients have the right to know their state of health. To tell the truth despite families wishes, and to tell the truth to patient before telling to family depends on many things, such as the patient's age , disease , religious beliefs, and etc.

First of all, if the physician is talking with middle-aged man about his state of health before talking with his family, patients might result in depression, he can regret of the treatment, and even give up. If doctor is talking with an old patient about their condition usually a lot of people decision is not to pursue the treatment because their life is lived and there is no meaning to agonize and to hurt relatives in the process of treatment. Exception is if a doctor’s patient is a child. For doctor is not necessary to say true directly to patient without talking with family. Saying about his medical condition before talking with his parents can cause some troubles. The child is not so educated to understand their severity, and the potential consequences, as well as he cannot make decisions independently. It is important before talking with the child talk with his family and to know him better. That’s lets physician be certain that after diagnoses child do not have a psychological shock.

Disease severity also has a significant impact should or should not physician despite family wishes about what treatment or what drugs they should get. If it is just a simple ...

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...t family wishes. The article authors Ruiping Fan and Benfu Li says, that Confucian Chines practice not to say truth to the patient if family think thinks that it should be hidden. They says, that “…is most important is not for one to know everything and make medicine decision by oneself, but to have the love and interdependence of family members.” (pg#71) .

Works Cited

“…is most important is not for one to know everything and make medicine decision by oneself, but to have the love and interdependence of family members.” (pg#71) .

“Diagnosis of severe disease should not to be told [to the patient]; instead, it should be disclosed only to the family” (pg#70).

“An ill person is first and foremost a family member – a weak, uncomfortable and suffering family member that is supposed to relax and rest and be looked after by other family members.” (pg#71).