Comunicación de la verdad en medicina: contribuciones desde una perspectiva psicológica

Abstract

Truth telling in medicine is difficult and stressful. Medical trainingteaches to mitigate pain and suffering, but death and health deterioration causes feelings offrustration among physicians. Physicians tend to conceal bad news to avoid the sufferingcaused by such adverse information. However, veracity is an integral part of a respectfulrelationship and is the basis of confidence between patients and health providers. However,confusing truthfulness with a mere exposure of all the available information is anoversimplification of the problem. Therefore the real issue drifts from “how convenient is tocommunicate the truth” to “how to share the information with my patient” in a setting in whichhe can express his feeling and thoughts. Communicating the truth is an ethical imperative. Thepatient has the right to be informed and the physician must provide this information timely andtaking into account the capacity, interest and emotional status of the patients. Thereforeprudence, warmth and bioethical reasoning are required for a good medical practice (Rev Méd Chile 2005; 133: 693-8).\r\r(Key Words: Communication barriers; Confidentiality; Duty to warn; Ethics, medical)