Physicians can ethically withhold information in situations where full disclosure of a diagnosis or treatment would cause great psychological harm to the patient.
The author describes some of the diverse training paths that may lead to becoming a bioethicist and how the breadth of this field is useful in exploring many ethical questions in the field of medicine.
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.