Document Detail


Dilemmas in the (un)veiling of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: walking an ethical and professional tight rope.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17449215     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To enhance the understanding and effect of physician's difficulties, attitudes and communication styles on the disclosure of the diagnosis of AD in practice. METHODS: Qualitative, phenomenological study, combining pre-encounter interviews with physicians, observations of actual encounters of diagnosis disclosure of AD, and post-encounter interviews. RESULTS: There were various ways or tactics to (un)veil the bad news that may be perceived as different ways of dulling the impact and avoiding full and therefore problematic statements. In the actual encounters this was accomplished by keeping encounters short, avoiding elaboration, confirmation of comprehension and explicit terminology and using fractured sentences. CONCLUSION: The present study's findings highlight the difficulties encountered in breaking the news about AD, in the way it is actually done, and the problems that may arise from this way of un/veiling the news. The main problem is that the reluctance to make a candid disclosure of the diagnosis as was demonstrated in this study may violate basic moral and legal rights and may also deprive patients and caregivers of some of the benefits of early disclosure of diagnosis. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: There is a need for assisting physicians to cope with their personal difficulties, problems and pitfalls in breaking the news.
Authors:
Orit Karnieli-Miller; Perla Werner; Judith Aharon-Peretz; Shmuel Eidelman
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2007-04-20
Journal Detail:
Title:  Patient education and counseling     Volume:  67     ISSN:  0738-3991     ISO Abbreviation:  Patient Educ Couns     Publication Date:  2007 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2007-07-03     Completed Date:  2007-10-23     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8406280     Medline TA:  Patient Educ Couns     Country:  Ireland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  307-14     Citation Subset:  N    
Affiliation:
Center for the Excellence for Patient-Professional Relationship in Health Care Studies, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel. OritKM@gmail.com
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adaptation, Psychological*
Aged
Alzheimer Disease* / diagnosis,  psychology
Attitude of Health Personnel*
Attitude to Health*
Conflict (Psychology)
Decision Making
Family / psychology
Fear
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Israel
Male
Negativism
Patient Rights
Physician's Role / psychology
Physician-Patient Relations / ethics*
Professional Competence
Professional-Family Relations
Qualitative Research
Questionnaires
Truth Disclosure / ethics*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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