American visual and narrative representations of Native experiences suggest an obligation to look on 19th-century White American artists’ romanticizations of those experiences with humility.
AMA J Ethics. 2020;22(10):E898-903. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2020.898.
Dr Jane Lee joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Drs Gabriel Robles and Latoya Small: “What Should Students Learn About the Importance of Cultural Brokering in Immigrant Communities?”
A physician discusses how medical students should handle an interaction with a patient who has not yet received information from the physician regarding test results and their implications.
The physician must help patients understand that all options—further testing, surgery, no action—carry risks and benefits. Disclosing the statistical probability of injury and other possible outcomes might help, but it can also hinder the process.
After assessing the reasons for a patient’s unrealistic hopefulness in the face of clear understanding, a clinician may believe that significant harm will come to the patient if he or she does not acknowledge the seriousness of the illness.
The communication gulf is not only one of language, but also one of culture, understood broadly. And, despite the priority of medical concerns, every effort should be made to obtain consent consistent with appropriate care.