Healthcare Dilemma
Sometimes, the interaction between medical practitioners and their patients tend to be challenging, especially under specific cultural barriers. According to the Asian culture, a belief exists that when the patient is terminally ill, they should not be informed about their prognosis. When faced with a similar situation, I would defy the cultural practice and focus on telling the truth. Such circumstances always pose as ethical dilemmas for healthcare providers since the guidelines on the professional code of conduct do not give or consider ways for them to balance the patient’s right to know concerning the cultural practices and beliefs of their families.
Generally, truthful communication is fostered in healthcare as a sign of trust in the patient-doctor relationship and respect for autonomy. Following these guidelines, conflicts are always bound to arise, especially when it comes to disclosure of sensitive information. It is the role of the health care provider to honour the requests of their patient regarding the relay of their medical information. Additionally, to minimize cultural conflicts, it essential to consult with their families or ethics committees on the possible harm linked to delaying disclosure of the condition of the patient (Carter & Klugman, 2001). It will not be an ethical breach for the healthcare provider to reveal the information to the patient against the will of the family. Any healthcare provider is always bound to abide by the code of healthcare ethics, which demands that the patients have the right to disclosure of information. It is their roles to satisfy the needs of the patients and their families but, at the same time, responsible for protecting the safety, health, and rights of their patients (Punjani, 2013). Any healthcare provider needs to remain faithful to the code of ethics and the hospital’s policy regarding truth-telling.
References
Carter, M. A., & Klugman, C. M. (2001). Cultural engagement in clinical ethics: a model for ethics consultation. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 10(1), 16-33.
Punjani, N. S. (2013). Truth-telling to terminally ill patients: To tell or not to tell. J Clin Res Bioeth, 4(159), 2.