Truth telling in medical practice: students' opinions versus their observations of attending physicians' clinical practice

Abstract

To develop the ability to tell the truth well, one must receive regular training in communication skills, including experienced attending physicians. This study found a significant difference between medical students' opinions on truth telling and attending physicians' actual clinical practice. More research is needed to objectively assess physicians' truth telling in clinical practice and to study the factors affecting the method of truth telling used by attending physicians in clinical practice.

Truth telling in Taiwanese cancer care: patients' and families' preferences and their experiences of doctors' practices

“…In this quantitative comparative study, the truth‐telling preferences of cancer patients, their families, and their doctors were compared with patients' and families' experiences of doctors' actual clinical truth‐telling practices. Truth telling was measured using the Taiwanese‐version modified Japanese truth‐telling scale, whose reliability and validity were acceptable in medical students and health care providers in Taiwan.…”

“…Participants' truth-telling preferences were assessed using the Taiwanese version of a modified Japanese truth-telling scale. 29 The original 70-item questionnaire has 4 subscales: method of disclosure (19 items), emotional support (17 items), additional information (16 items), and setting (18 items). Item responses are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (extremely unimportant) to 5 (extremely important).…”

Disclosing the Truth: A Dilemma between Instilling Hope and Respecting Patient Autonomy in Everyday Clinical Practice

“…The majority of the doctors indicate that they need clinical guide-lines for truth telling, while more than the half suggested the need for relevant in-service education (Grassi et al, 2000; Tang et al, 2013). …”

“…A good truth telling technique could have positive effects on their prognosis and quality of life, reducing emotional pressure and maintaining their sense of hope (Tang et al, 2013). …”

“…That’s why the majority of doctors or nurses encounter many difficulties during truth telling, which lead them to feel psychological distress, impacting negatively on their emotional well-being and work satisfaction (Panagopoulou, Mintziori, Montgomery, Kapoukranidou, & Benos, 2008; Hulsman et al, 2010; Tang, Fang, Chun-Kai Fang, & Fujimori, 2013). …”