When disclosing a serious diagnosis to a minor conflicts with family values.
An 11-year old Asian-Indian boy was recently discovered to have acute myelogenous leukemia. The pediatric hematologist-oncologist arranged a meeting to inform the parents about the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. The physician planned to include the child in this process. However, the child's father, a computer programmer, made a request that his son should not be informed about the diagnosis of leukemia. The father asked that his son should be told that he has a severe infection and will require intensive treatment. The oncologist then informed the father that, as a physician, she has the responsibility to truthfully disclose the diagnosis to a patient, and she insisted on informing the child about the leukemia in an open and truthful manner.
Gupta
Vidya Bhushan
VB
New York Medical College, NY, USA.
Willert
Jennifer
J
Pian
Mark
M
Stein
Martin T
MT