Truth-Telling to Terminal Stage Cancer Patients in India
A Study of the General Denial to Disclosure
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13629412 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Souvik Mondal (0000-0001-5531-9105, Department of Sociology, Presidency University, Kolkata, India, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 87 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 941-961 |
| Publication date | 2021-07-18 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00302228211032732 |
| PMID | 34275387 |
| OpenAlex | W3183400289 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 34 |
Telling the truth to the terminal-stage cancer patients differs socio-culturally based on the priorities assigned to patients' autonomy and the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. After conducting in-depth interviews with 108 terminal-stage adult cancer patients, 306 family members, and 25 physicians, in private and public hospitals in both rural and urban areas, in the state of West Bengal, India it has been found that even though 85.60% of the patients prefer full disclosure, only 22.03% are actually informed. Though demographic characteristics, like age, gender, education etc., have marginal influences over the pattern of truth-telling, the main factor behind non-disclosure is the family members' preference for principles of beneficence and non-maleficence over patient autonomy. Hence, only 9.32% of those 118 patients' family members have agreed to full disclosure. Physicians comply with this culture of non-disclosure as family, in India, is the centre of decision-making and acts as the primary unit of care
Alternative medicine · Autonomy · Beneficence · Denial · Economic Justice · Family medicine · Informed consent · Paternalism · Pathology · Political science · Law · Medicine · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues · Patient Dignity and Privacy · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare · Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |