Ethical Dilemma: Withholding Information from Patients

Ethical Dilemma: Withholding Information from Patients
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Ethical Dilemma: Withholding Information from Patients
Ethical dilemmas are commonplace in contemporary healthcare settings. That is partly because the demand for healthcare services is increasing and patients are showcasing unique needs that make it challenging to make logical decisions in all situations. While there are frameworks that healthcare practitioners can employ to address various ethical dilemmas, there are more cases that demand more insightful thinking to resolve in clinical settings. One of such dilemmas is the need to withhold or divulge information to patients. Depending on the situation, it can be challenging to know when or how to disclose some pieces of information to patients without hurting them in some other ways. In this analysis, focus is put on withholding information as an ethical dilemma that impacts healthcare professionals. The inputs in this analysis are vital in addressing the challenge of withholding information from patients as it develops practical solutions and utilizes an ethical decision-making framework to address the ethical dilemma.
Description of the Ethical Dilemma
The issue of withholding information from patients is a long-standing ethical dilemma in healthcare. The problem centers on the patient’s right to information about his/her medical condition and the problems that could arise from disclosing some pieces of information to patients. Part of the challenge is also anchored on the paternalistic model of healthcare (Zhong et al., 2023). Historically, the model is structured to allow healthcare professionals the freedom to make decisions for patients without explicit consent from those patients. The decisions can be made in the belief that the healthcare professionals have the best interest of the patients. With the implementation of the paternalistic model of healthcare, emphasis is put on only three factors that include physician-centered decision-making, focus on patient welfare, and limited patient autonomy (Ajayi et al., 2023). The paternalistic model has faced increasing criticism in recent decades, particularly as the concept of patient autonomy has gained prominence. Critics argue that this model disregards patient preferences, undermines trust in the healthcare relationship, and may lead to non-consensual treatment decisions (Yang et al., 2020). The adoption of various ethical obligations alongside the shift toward patient-centered care means that the historical adherence to the paternalistic model is attracting a range of criticism.
The Dilemma and Ethics
Withholding information from patients comes with a range of ethical implications. Primarily, healthcare professionals are obligated to adhere to various key ethical principles in their operations. Primary among the principles is the principle of autonomy (Zhong et al., 2023). The principle fosters the need to allow patients to make decisions for themselves. Also known as self-government, the principle is linked to the Bill of Rights and upholds the