Question

PLEASE ANSWER -TRUE OR FALSE and then…defend your response.

1. You are a patient and seriously ill. Your physician can lie to you about your diagnosis if he or she believes the truth will cause you distress. ___________

Why did you answer this way?

2. Your family can prevent the physician from giving you a diagnosis of your condition. __________

Why did you answer this way?

3. Legally, you can keep your diagnosis a secret from family members. ________

Why did you answer this way?

4. A critically ill patient is being treated and wants the treatment to continue. The family objects and has the right to stop the treatment. ________

Why did you answer this way?

5. As long as you are a competent adult, you can refuse any medical treatment. ________

Why did you answer this way?

6. A lawsuit can be filed against a physician who treats you against your wishes in order to keep you alive. ________

Why did you answer this way?

7. A patient can be prevented from leaving the hospital if the physician has not discharged the patient. ________

Why did you answer this way?

8. A patient may refuse to be treated or even observed by medical students, interns, and residents. ________

Why did you answer this way?

9. A hospital can discharge you if you cannot pay your bill. ________

Why did you answer this way?

Answer 1

1. You are a patient and seriously ill. Your physician can lie to you about your diagnosis if he or she believes the truth will cause you distress. _________

Ans) The withholding the truth by physicians is a form of medical paternalism and is adopted to protect thepatient from physical/emotional harm. This paternalism assists generate an optimism which transcends the immediate crisis and promotes decision making. Inorder to no to cause further harm.

2.Your family can prevent the physician from giving you a diagnosis of your condition. __________

Ans) Yes, If the patient is not well and couldn't take any bad which may cause further depression. I feel that inorder to continue the treatment , neccessarily patient need not to know about his/her diagnosis. Whereas, patient should have strong pyschological support.

3.Legally, you can keep your diagnosis a secret from family members. ________

Ans) Never the diagnosis is kept secret. It is directly harming to the patient. Moreover it is the physician responsibility to explain the situation. Patient autonomy is very important.

4.A critically ill patient is being treated and wants the treatment to continue. The family objects and has the right to stop the treatment.

Ans) This completely depends on their financial postitio. Wheather they can afford the treatment or not. If there rae enough funds with the patient for hospitalization so the family members doesnt have right to stop the treatment. Orelse, patient and the family members have to talk regarding this and take counselling from health professional and then they can decide further to continue or not.

5.As long as you are a competent adult, you can refuse any medical treatment. ________

Ans) Yes, we can refuse a treatment when we are competent because we know exact situation /issues, it might be physically , financially and mentally. But, before taking a decision i advice to take a counselling for better understanding the health condition.

6. A lawsuit can be filed against a physician who treats you against your wishes in order to keep you alive. _____

Ans) Obviously, you do want people to follow patient wishes. When they bother to take the time to fill out an advance directive and to involve the family in gaining their approval and understanding of what the patient wants, including no resuscitation, then unless there is a mistake or an error and somebody ought to be resuscitated because there's a way to help them and give them quality of life or a therapeutic outcome (not just keep them going), their wishes ought to be respected. It shouldn't take a lawsuit or a threat of a lawsuit to achieve that.

7. A patient can be prevented from leaving the hospital if the physician has not discharged the patient. ________

Ans)  Discharge against medical advice (AMA), in which a patient chooses to leave the hospital before the treating physician recommends discharge, is a problem for many physicians who treat hospitalized patients.

8.A patient may refuse to be treated or even observed by medical students, interns, and residents. ________

Ans) We have to obey the patients words. If he is not cooperating initially we have to be patience enough to understand the situation and assure him/her that evrything will be fine. Evenafter if patient is not accepting then we shouldn't force further. Document it.

9.  A hospital can discharge you if you cannot pay your bill. ________

Ans) Generally no. But they may give consession if the organization CEO is a kindhearted.