How do you plan to navigate these difficult situations-What resources do you have that may be beneficial to us once we are dealing with the situations in practice?

Withholding Information from Patient Reply Post 1

Withholding Information at Request of the Family

Patient autonomy is so highly valued in the American culture that we tend to think of it as the most correct or appropriate way to provide care for patients. Many other cultures do not believe that it is in the patient’s best interest to know or decide all the specific details of the medical diagnosis but rather to rely on the healthcare professionals to provide the best care.

The issue of nondisclosure is now a topic of debate amongst many countries. The five focal virtues for healthcare providers include compassion, discernment, trustworthiness, integrity, and conscientiousness, with each of these virtues promoting and encouraging a positive relationship (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019).

Many cultures rely on healthcare providers to focus on these virtues when making decisions about a patient’s health. Some cultures claim that respecting autonomy is not a one-size-fits-all approach and that a provider should take into consideration patient preferences, expressed desires about involvement in clinical decisions, and the desired role of the family (McCabe et al., 2010)

Given the specific information regarding Mrs. Liu and her culture,It would be necessary to have a conversation with Mrs. Liu to determine her wishes and desires regarding the role that she wants herself and her family to play in making her decisions.

In the even that nothing relevant comes from informing Mrs. Liu and/or the outcome would be unnecessary stress, harm, and social stigma, it may be in her best interest to not be informed. As healthcare providers, we are required to report infectious diseases to the health department so that we can protect the community (Thomas, R., Reeves, M., 2021).

Withholding the information from the patient but still reporting the disease to the health department, as required may be difficult to navigate. In this situation, I would tell the patient the minimum information to answer her questions without adding extra stress.

This will be a difficult area to learn to navigate as a new provider. How do you plan to navigate these difficult situations? What resources do you have that may be beneficial to us once we are dealing with the situations in practice?