Notes from a Family Meeting is a newsletter where I hope to join the curious conversations that hang about the intersections of health and the human condition.
"The real problem is doctors do not want to tell you the truth. It's probably filed away under a subheading of beneficence in the shadowy corners of the doctor's mind."
Probably.
I think clinicians also struggle to know what's "true" in the best sense of the term. As I mention in the essay, it is indeed true that this woman's kidney function is "better." Is that a truth worth sharing without contextualization? Some clinicians just share the data and leave the patient and family to connect the dots.
Residents across the board do not get any communication training. This probably contributes to their struggle to contextualize information for clinical decision-making - so either they unload a bunch of disparate data, or they withhold key information (e.g., the patient is dying) because they're uncertain or fearful.
"The real problem is doctors do not want to tell you the truth. It's probably filed away under a subheading of beneficence in the shadowy corners of the doctor's mind."
Probably.
I think clinicians also struggle to know what's "true" in the best sense of the term. As I mention in the essay, it is indeed true that this woman's kidney function is "better." Is that a truth worth sharing without contextualization? Some clinicians just share the data and leave the patient and family to connect the dots.
Residents across the board do not get any communication training. This probably contributes to their struggle to contextualize information for clinical decision-making - so either they unload a bunch of disparate data, or they withhold key information (e.g., the patient is dying) because they're uncertain or fearful.