title: Truth or lie--some ethical dilemmas in the communication of a severe diagnosis.
abstract: Informing the patient about his disease is a very important issue in the medical practice, thus communication becomes imperative in healthcare services. Communicating the diagnosis of a pathology that doesn't bear any imminent risk for life is a common procedure for physicians. However, the situation changes drastically in the case of a severe diagnosis or a hopeless prognosis, with terminally ill patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this article the authors proceed to a critical analysis of the dilemma of communication or non-communication of a severe diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The problem of communicating a severe diagnosis is described from a philosophical perspective (in terms of three fundamental ethical theories: Aristotle's theory of virtue, Kant's ethical theory and Bentham and Mill's moral theories). At the same time, certain physiological and medical approaches are presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to avoid any communication conflict, especially considering the particular situation of the seriously ill patient in the context of the contemporary medical activities, the authors propose the debating of two opposing approaches: "the sacred lie principle" and "the justified medical truth" in the physician--patient relation.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa, Iasi.
authors: Rodica
authors: R
authors: Gramma
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa, Iasi.
authors: Andrada
authors: A
authors: Parvu
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa, Iasi.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Enache
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa, Iasi.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Roman
authors: Discipline of Legal Medicine, Medical Deontology and Bioethics, Centre of Ethics Policies in Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa, Iasi.
authors: Beatrice
authors: B
authors: Ioan
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D012383:Romania; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics*