Medical Disclosure and Decision-Making: Excavating the Complexities of Physician-Patient Information Exchange

When it comes to communication, the (sometimes faulty) assumption is that the messages we exchange are true. In the health care setting, the truth is sometimes concealed for the patient’s benefit, distorted in an attempt to compassionately deliver bad news, or not processed by the patient because of its ramifications. In spite of most people’s attempts to cover up the truth, whether their intention is noble or malicious, usually the truth is eventually revealed (Thomasma, 1994).