Have you ever been to the Doctor and was embarrassed to disclose all the details? Did you feel like your Doctor would judge you negatively? Well, when physicians communicate with patients, being honest is an important way to foster trust and show respect for the patient. And in turn patients need to do the same. Patients place a great deal of trust in their physician and may feel that trust is misplaced if they discover or perceive lack of honesty and candor by the physician. And physician’s trust that patient’s are telling the truth about their condition and medical history. Yet there are situations in which the truth can be disclosed in too brutal a fashion, or may have a terrible impact on the occasional patient or the patient can be embarrassed about their condition. It is important that you give your doctor full disclosure of your healthcare condition or symptoms so that they will be able to care for you properly. Always asked to be presented with a HIPPA form so that your rights and privacy is respected and withheld by the physician. The smallest amount of information withheld from your healthcare provider can be life saving or fatal. Remember doctors are there to help you and not judge you!
The goal of examination of confidentiality is to be able to discern the difference of healthcare disclosure. The limits of confidentiality can disrupt the patient/provider relationship and prevent the physician from providing adequate care to the patient.
Case Study:
In July 2017, a 25-year-old girl (patient X) came to Seattle Emergency Department to seek treatment for an emergency incident– the patient had a foreign object logged in the abdomen.
The physician performed ultrasounds to attempt to identify the object but could not make out what it may be. They repeatedly asked the patient what happened and what was inside of her. The patient refused to disclosure and consistently complained about the pain. Clinicians later discovered she had a can of aerosol forced into her abdomen through the vaginal canal. The physicians tried to remove the object with laser light technology that provides heat to the object for easy dislodging. The heat applied to the can of aerosol caused an implosion, killing the young women and setting fire to the physician.
This case raised a complicated ethical question: Do patients have an obligation to talk to physicians about their condition or should they trust their physician to figure it out?
Providers suffered as the unrecognized victims of their errors. Secrecy meant that providers received no support in the aftermath of the event. Emotionally damaged and professionally shaken, their ability to treat patients and conduct themselves personally and professionally was diminished.
What if the truth could be harmful?
There are many patients who worry about the harmful effects of disclosing too much information to physicians. Assuming that such disclosure is done with appropriate sensitivity and tact, there is little empirical evidence to support such a fear. If the patient has some compelling reason to think that disclosure would create a real and predictable harmful effect on their health, it may be justified to withhold truthful information. With that being said you should have full awareness and information about your condition in order to make that decision.
With that instance, it is important for the physician to have an established relationship with the patient to facilitate communication. Trust and communication is the main component of a strong patient/provider relationship. Under no circumstance should a physician withhold information regarding your health condition and vice versa. The liability can unjustly fall into the lap of the physician when important medical information is withheld by the patient and in turn, the patients’ awareness of their condition and treatment can be compromised if the physician fails to give full disclosure.
Variables that impact telling the truth
There are many variables that impact a patient decision to disclose or not disclosure their healthcare condition to a physician. For instance, There is always the concerns of family and friends and respect for culture and religion;
Often families will ask the physician to withhold a terminal or serious diagnosis or prognosis from the patient, and at times ask the patient to withhold disclosure of their condition based on honor and integrity. Usually, the family’s motive is laudable they want to spare their loved one then this is a strong ethical dilemma that must be addressed. OurHealth, LLC wants to encourage you and your loved ones the truth about your health condition.
Having honestly discussed the mistakes, providers can turn their attention to effectively dealing with the error and its consequences. Although closure improves patient care find ways to have a very transparent communication with your physician regarding your condition discuss any alternatives that support your culture or religious benefits.
Of course, there are right ways and wrong ways to disclose, and knowing exactly how and when to do it can get complicated fast. With a solid understanding of the issue, however, and with clear guidance from hospital administrators and policies, anyone can navigate the path from mistake to disclosure – and be empowered and healed in the process. Full disclosure with your physician is the right thing to do it is the ethical thing to do and it is the only way your provider can properly care for you. The patient and the provider relationship is the most crucial component to a well ran the healthcare system.It is important that you are connected to a physician that shares the same cultural connection so that you are honest and be precise about your condition. Increase your health literacy and help your doctor help you.
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