Physicians can ethically withhold information in situations where full disclosure of a diagnosis or treatment would cause great psychological harm to the patient.
Dr Donald Egan joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article, coauthored with Drs Adriane M. dela Cruz, Sarah E. Baker, and John Z. Sadler: “When Are ‘Paraphernalia’ Critical Medical Supplies?”
Physicians need to understand when it may be appropriate to let patients get involved in medical decision-making and when it may be necessary to provide their personal medical judgment.
A U.S. physician relates the culture shock he is experiencing working as an area medical officer in Eastern Africa for the U.S. Peace Corps in his latest online journal entry.