Case Study: Withholding Information at the Request of the Family
Read the case study and answer the following
Withholding Information at the Request of the Family
Karen Gill is an acute care nurse practitioner. Karen is employed by the only group of pulmonologists in a medium-sized city in Texas. Karen sees patients in the office and rounds at a level 2 hospital where she was the first APRN granted privileges.
Karen called the son’s house and left a message for Mrs. Liu to schedule an appointment so that Karen could explain the results of the biopsy and the treatment plan. She received a phone call from Mrs. Liu’s son, who asked that the diagnosis be withheld from his mother. He explained that in the rural area of China where his mom is from tuberculosis is considered fatal and to tell her would be like giving her “a death sentence.” He also said tuberculosis is considered “not a nice thing” to have. Karen reviewed the literature on perceptions of tuberculosis in rural China and found considerable social stigma attached to the disease with loss of social connections common after the diagnosis.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare
In your initial post, make the case if it is ethical or not ethical to withhold the diagnosis from Mrs. Liu at the request of Mrs. Liu’s family, incorporating and citing ideas from the Week 3 Beauchamp and Childress required reading on the disclosure of information to patients. Does mandated reporting to the public health department impact your decision?
