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.