When cultures clash: physician, patient, and family wishes in truth disclosure for dying patients.
We describe two cases involving male foreign nationals (a Chinese and a Georgian) treated in a U.S. hospital. Both patients had terminal illnesses, and both cases involved clashes between families and the treating physicians, which occurred because of differing cultural beliefs about truth disclosure. Based on the specific backgrounds of these two patients, we discuss ethical and cultural considerations and make suggestions for physicians who care for ethnically diverse patients.
Lapine
A
A
Department of Medicine and Bioethics Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Wang-Cheng
R
R
Goldstein
M
M
Nooney
A
A
Lamb
G
G
Derse
A R
AR
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death / Q000208:ethnology*; D026686:Beneficence; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005610:Freedom; D005846:Georgia (Republic) / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014481:United States