Behavioural Science Question

[Asclepius1]

Source is First Aid 2004,vignette for Behavioural Science at page 120:


65 yr old man is diagnosed with incurable metastatic cancer.His family ask u,the doctor,not to tell the pt.What do u do?

Ans: Do not tell the pt if it negatively affects his health,otherwise tell the pt.

Is it correct, what i know about this situation that if somebody has even life threatening condition pt must be told, i mean shouldn't we put this concept secondary,whether or not it harms the pts health.

plz suggest with reference.

[Asclepius1]

I think it can easily solved by just asking the patient's family "how would it affect his health if I tell him of his medical condition?" If the family say that, "If you tell him of his metastatic cancer he will die soon." Duh, go ahead and tell the patient.

The patient is the first one to know his medical condition then next is his next of kin.