Essay On Physician Deception
Fan and Li argue that it can be morally acceptable to lie to or deceive a patient about the severity of their diagnosis. In traditional Western culture, it was accepted for physicians to lie or withhold the truth from patients in order to provide the best care. This was accepted because it allowed to physicians to treat without interruption of the stubbornness of their patients. In modern Western culture, physician deception is viewed as wrong because it takes away the autonomy of the patient. Similar to traditional Western culture, Chinese medical ethics focuses on what the family and physician thinks is best for the patient, even if it is lying or deceiving the patient. If a patient’s family wishes not to inform the patient, then the physician
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is required follow the family’s wishes. Although both traditional Western culture and the Chinese practice believe in patient deception, they differ on who makes the decision. In traditional Western medicine, the physician makes the decision on whether to tell the patient the truth or not. In the Chinese, the family has the ultimate authority on what the patient is told.
The Confucian Chinese approach take 3 things into consideration when deciding on what to communicate to the patient: “the patient’s condition, the likely impact of the communication on the patient, and the family’s wishes in the matter” (p.
69). A justification for this came from mainland China. Patients that were diagnosed with cancer, were found to either kill themselves or try to kill themselves. This lead to Chinese physicians withholding certain information to patients that they think cannot handle it. In mainland China, families of patients have even been known to bring physicians to court for disclosing information that the patient could not handle. Even though the physician is not required to tell the patient the truth, Chinese cultural tradition and law requires them to inform close family members. They view a family as more interdependent in medical decisions as opposed to the individual making the decisions alone. Signing a consent form for surgery is an example. The Chinese would view requiring a suffering patient to sign a consent form on their own as madness. Instead, they would have a family representative sign for that individual. For the Chinese patient, there is no reason in knowing if they have a fatal illness. They trust that their family will make the proper decisions and
arrangements.
Analysis
Fan and Li begin their argument by discussing the different cultural views on patient deception. They ensure that the reader understands the history and different viewpoints on this topic. This is done by going into depth in explaining the traditional Western cultural and Confucian Chinese views of patient deception. After they are sure the reader understands the views of patient deception, they begin outlining the guidelines and justification that Confucian Chinese medicine uses for patient deception.
They give two main reasons why it would be best for a patient to be deceived. One is that patients in mainland China have been observed to kill themselves or try to kill themselves after receiving a cancer diagnosis. This point is built on by saying that Chinese families have been known to complain or bring physicians to court for disclosing information to the patient that risked unnecessary harm. The next main point is that an ill person should be relaxed and rest instead of worrying about their disease. The patient’s family is instead trusted to care for and make the decisions of the patients. This is true whether the patient is competent or not.
Comment
It is difficult to tell when it is right to deceive the patient. In modern Western culture, autonomy is a core value to individuals. In the modern United States, I would have to take many factors into consideration before I made a decision to deceive a patient. Growing up in the modern Western culture, I also think that autonomy is very important. Personally, if I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, I would like to know. I do agree that if someone is depressed or gets depressed easily that their true condition should be withheld from them. Even though it is deceiving the patient, it is still caring for the patient in a sense that you preventing a negative psychological response that may only cause further harm.
is required follow the family’s wishes. Although both traditional Western culture and the Chinese practice believe in patient deception, they differ on who makes the decision. In traditional Western medicine, the physician makes the decision on whether to tell the patient the truth or not. In the Chinese, the family has the ultimate authority on what the patient is told.
The Confucian Chinese approach take 3 things into consideration when deciding on what to communicate to the patient: “the patient’s condition, the likely impact of the communication on the patient, and the family’s wishes in the matter” (p.
69). A justification for this came from mainland China. Patients that were diagnosed with cancer, were found to either kill themselves or try to kill themselves. This lead to Chinese physicians withholding certain information to patients that they think cannot handle it. In mainland China, families of patients have even been known to bring physicians to court for disclosing information that the patient could not handle. Even though the physician is not required to tell the patient the truth, Chinese cultural tradition and law requires them to inform close family members. They view a family as more interdependent in medical decisions as opposed to the individual making the decisions alone. Signing a consent form for surgery is an example. The Chinese would view requiring a suffering patient to sign a consent form on their own as madness. Instead, they would have a family representative sign for that individual. For the Chinese patient, there is no reason in knowing if they have a fatal illness. They trust that their family will make the proper decisions and
arrangements.
Analysis
Fan and Li begin their argument by discussing the different cultural views on patient deception. They ensure that the reader understands the history and different viewpoints on this topic. This is done by going into depth in explaining the traditional Western cultural and Confucian Chinese views of patient deception. After they are sure the reader understands the views of patient deception, they begin outlining the guidelines and justification that Confucian Chinese medicine uses for patient deception.
They give two main reasons why it would be best for a patient to be deceived. One is that patients in mainland China have been observed to kill themselves or try to kill themselves after receiving a cancer diagnosis. This point is built on by saying that Chinese families have been known to complain or bring physicians to court for disclosing information to the patient that risked unnecessary harm. The next main point is that an ill person should be relaxed and rest instead of worrying about their disease. The patient’s family is instead trusted to care for and make the decisions of the patients. This is true whether the patient is competent or not.
Comment
It is difficult to tell when it is right to deceive the patient. In modern Western culture, autonomy is a core value to individuals. In the modern United States, I would have to take many factors into consideration before I made a decision to deceive a patient. Growing up in the modern Western culture, I also think that autonomy is very important. Personally, if I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, I would like to know. I do agree that if someone is depressed or gets depressed easily that their true condition should be withheld from them. Even though it is deceiving the patient, it is still caring for the patient in a sense that you preventing a negative psychological response that may only cause further harm.