Conceptualizing Consent and Confidentiality in Medicine

Comprehension Set 9
Student’s Name
Institution
Course
Professor’s Name
Date
Question 1
Joseph Collins gives three reasons why he believes doctors should not tell their patients the whole truth. The first is that he thinks truth is irrelevant when dealing with most patients. They may not have serious conditions and thus are only seeking reassurance. Most of these patients will not leave their doctors if they tell them the truth, making it unnecessary. Secondly, telling the truth to people living with terminal illnesses like cancer makes the remainder of their lives miserable because they will be haunted by the thought of dying in a few years or months. This means that telling patients the truth adds to their suffering. The last reason Collins gives is that telling patients the truth reduces the effectiveness of treatment plans because the truth is likely to stress patients (Ozturk, 2022, 3:50).
Question 2
The two ways of conceptualizing consent are informed consent as rational self-determination and informed consent as legal compliance to avoid liability. The first involves a sound decision by the patient or their kin to allow a doctor to carry out a certain procedure. Here, the patient or their kin decide without interference or coercion fro...