Truth telling and
confidentiality problems arise daily in the medical field. As a physician, it
is his/her duty to tell the patient the truth if the patient wants to know, but
in some cases is it morally right to tell the truth? Let’s look at an example
for more clarification. A family of four, a father, a mother, and two children,
got into a fatal car accident. The mother and two children were declared dead
at the scene and the father was taken to the hospital with very serious
injuries that require surgery. As he was being rushed to the operating room, he
asks the doctor how his wife and children are doing. The doctor says that
"they are being cared for". Was it morally right for the doctor to
lie? What would you say if you were the doctor?
Cases like these can get
very controversial because our society thinks that it is morally wrong to
lie. But is it okay to lie in some instances? I thought of this example as if I
was in the situation myself, first as if I was in the father’s shoes, and
second as if I was in the doctor’s shoes. If I was in the father’s shoes, I would
want to know how my family is doing. By asking the doctor, I would think I am
ready to hear the truth and nothing but the truth. But as the doctor, I would
want to save this father’s live. By telling the father the truth, it could
cause the father to feel responsible and guilt for the deaths right before the surgery.
The father could lose hope and just tell the doctor that he doesn't want to get
treated and wants to die with his family. Personally I wouldn't think it’s fair
for the live that could be saved. Yes, the father will have to go through emotional
and physical pain, but it can be overcome. Also telling the father after the surgery
could put the doctor’s reputation at risk. Sadly, cases like this happen every day.
In this situation I would have done the same thing the doctor did. It is hard to hear a truth that hurts, i feel that the father's will to live would be lost if the truth is told. This situation is bad and it is a hard situation to make but i wouldn't tell the father right before he is going into a major life saving surgery.
ReplyDeleteThis is a tricky situation, but I would have to agree with the how the doctor handled the situation. While being rushed into surgery, it is not the time to tell the dying patient that his entire wife and children are dead. Your job as a physician is to do everything in your power to save the mans life. If you tell him now that he will have nobody to go home to, his will to live will most likely vanish and could potentially cause more problems during surgery.. At least mine would if I were the father. I don't think that telling the patient that they are being cared for would tarnish his or her reputation, as a physician, simply because there was nothing the doctor could do to save his family and most people in that situation would understand that. I also agree that right before life saving surgery, a conversation like this isn't likely.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what others have said. Although it is wrong to lie and he expects the truth I think that he really seeks reassurance that something is okay and if the father is given such detremental news right before surgery that can have extreme effects. Not only could the father refuse the surgery but he could also be put in a state of shock which could put massive strain on his heart making him unfut for surgery. While lying would have been tough I think it would have been best to give an ambiguous answer (like the doctor sort of did) and then break the news after the surgery when the father is more coherent and stable enough to hear the news
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