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Is honesty always the best policy? Ethical aspects of truth telling
Author(s) -
Gold M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2004.00673.x
Subject(s) - truth telling , honesty , medicine , value (mathematics) , dilemma , autonomy , multiculturalism , ethical dilemma , epistemology , social psychology , law , psychoanalysis , psychology , political science , philosophy , machine learning , computer science
Physicians have not always believed that patients should be told of their diagnosis. Modern, western medical practice places a high value on providing accurate, truthful information to patients. This is heavily influenced by the commitment to patient autonomy and participation in decision‐making. However, situations arise where truth telling is difficult to achieve, creating a dilemma for the treating doctor. This article discusses aspects of truth telling in a multicultural society. (Intern Med J 2003; 33: 578−580)