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Truth Telling in Medicine

Truth Telling in Medicine To the Editor.— I found the recent article "Truth Telling in Medicine" by Mark Sheldon, PhD (1982;247:651), to be interesting and thought-provoking. There is one aspect of this issue that needs more emphasis than it has received. One of the most neglected aspects of the physician-patient relationship is the right of the patient to be a self-sovereign, autonomous, free human being. Throughout history, this right has been violated time and time again under the guise of "helping" the patient. If one concludes that it is in the "best interest" of a patient for the physician to lie to that patient, then one has decided that the physician— not the patient—is the true judge of the "best interest" of the patient. If that is true, the patient has no selfsovereignty, and the physician is sovereign over the patient. Back in the days when blacks were totally enslaved, many slave owners justified http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JAMA American Medical Association

Truth Telling in Medicine

Morris, David
JAMA , Volume 247 (19) – May 21, 1982
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Truth Telling in Medicine

Abstract



To the Editor.—
I found the recent article "Truth Telling in Medicine" by Mark Sheldon, PhD (1982;247:651), to be interesting and thought-provoking. There is one aspect of this issue that needs more emphasis than it has received.
One of the most neglected aspects of the physician-patient relationship is the right of the patient to be a self-sovereign, autonomous, free human being. Throughout history, this right has been violated time and time again under the guise of...
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References (1)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1982 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use.
ISSN
0098-7484
eISSN
1538-3598
DOI
10.1001/jama.1982.03320440011007
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

To the Editor.— I found the recent article "Truth Telling in Medicine" by Mark Sheldon, PhD (1982;247:651), to be interesting and thought-provoking. There is one aspect of this issue that needs more emphasis than it has received. One of the most neglected aspects of the physician-patient relationship is the right of the patient to be a self-sovereign, autonomous, free human being. Throughout history, this right has been violated time and time again under the guise of "helping" the patient. If one concludes that it is in the "best interest" of a patient for the physician to lie to that patient, then one has decided that the physician— not the patient—is the true judge of the "best interest" of the patient. If that is true, the patient has no selfsovereignty, and the physician is sovereign over the patient. Back in the days when blacks were totally enslaved, many slave owners justified

Journal

JAMA – American Medical Association

Published: May 21, 1982

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