Victoria Christian
Dr. Foreman
PHIL-380
23rd, April 2020
Response Paper: Telling Patients the Truth
While Lipkin does offer a number of reasons to justify lying to patients, it is morally
wrong. Throughout the article, Lipkin discusses how patients do not have a clear understanding
of bodily functions. Lipkin also discussed how sometimes giving the patient too much
information can make matters worse. The article also states that good physicians are aware that
information can be damaging by adding more that then the patient needs to know. While these
reasons can be understandable, they are ultimately wrong. The relationship with a patient and
doctor should be a trustworthy and a very firm foundation. While patients do not always
understand what is going on with their bodies, the doctors should not withhold information. This
is irresponsible and neglectful to the rights of the patient. The doctor has a clear understanding
and it is their job to discuss what is happening and provide treatment. Telling a patient the truth is
incredibly important. I would classify Lipkin as a utilitarian. Utilitarianism is a moral theory that
ultimately improves life by adding pleasure and happiness and reducing the negatives. While he
is working as a physician to help people, he believes the way he treats patients is justifiable. As
long as Lipkin is doing the right thing to treat someone, they don’t need to know all the
information. This is how his mindset appears to operate according to the article. Sometimes the
patients don’t have a full understanding however he does this to make things “easier.” Since the
patient does not have a complete understanding of the body, it would be easiest to explain
something in simple terms. For nurses who regularly lie to their patients, this is also wrong.
While some patients are not able to tell that a medical worker is lying to them, this could
potentially result in major consequences. If someone finds out that you have given them
misinformation, they could sue you, and the hospital. You could be fired as a health-worker.
Although patient cooperation is important, it can result in a much worse outcomes if there are
false statements. As a patient, they are trusting the medical workers with their lives. Personally, I
would want to be aware of everything that is going on in my body. I would want to know what
the medication is doing, what the effects could be, and the potential downsides of the situation.
While it is common for workers in the health field to tell small lies, this is damaging. It should
not be an inconvenience to the physician to explain everything that is going on. While it does
take up more time, this is better than a lawsuit. There are many different ways healthcare
workers can explain things instead of telling “small” lies. While doing the research of what a
patient is experiencing, they can make an accurate statement about what the patient needs to
know regarding, illness/treatment. According to our faith, lying is ultimately wrong. There are
many difficult situations at times where the healthcare worker does not want to scare the patient.
Until I fully become a nurse, I will not have a clear understanding of what this is like. However, I
will do the best of my responsibilities in ensuring the patient gets the right treatment and has a
clear understanding of information. I believe that if the patient and healthcare worker fully trust
each other, this will make the job easier instead of lying. When a patient identifies a reason for
lack of trust, this in my opinion will make the job more difficult for the doctor/nurse.
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