AnnotatedBibliography
AnnotatedBibliography
Manicat-Emo,A., Bankas, D., Bradbury, L., & Espedido, B. (2010).Truth-telling and an adolescent diagnosed with a malignant braintumor: Who are we protecting? CanadianJournal of Neuroscience Nursing,32 (3), 36-40
Thearticle “Truth-telling and an adolescent diagnosed with a malignantbrain tumor: Who are we protecting?” was authored by ArbelleManicat-Emo, Dzigbordi Bankas, Laura Bradbury, and Beverly Espedido.The article was published in the Canadian Journal of NeuroscienceNursing in 2010. The purpose of this article was to determine whetherpatients should be told the truth about the diagnosis performed forserious diseases, such as cancer. The authors hold that patients havethe right to be informed about the outcome of the diagnosis, butthere are several factors that should be considered. For example, theprinciple of benevolence holds that the health care providers have aduty to “do good”. This means that they should assess thepossible reaction of the patient after receiving the news about thediagnosis. However, a decision to withhold information about thediagnosis reduces the effectiveness of the treatment process. It alsodestroys the trust between the health care provider and the patient.From the case study provided in the article nurses are in a betterposition to advocate for the rights of patients and ensure that theyreceive the correct information about the outcome of the diagnosis.
Thearticle has four major strengths. First, the facts presented in thearticle are supported by the empirical findings of other researchers.By including the findings of other scholars, the authors increasedthe objectivity as well as the reliability of the facts presented inthe article.
Secondly,the authors achieved the purpose of the article by conducting areview of literature. A review of literature allowed the authors toidentify trends on the issue of truthfulness in the health careindustry. In addition, the literature review methodology gave theauthors an opportunity to use the opinion of several researchers tobenchmark the findings of their study.
Third,the authors introduced the article with a case study of a girl whowas diagnosed with cancer, but her parents refuse the nurses frominforming her about the outcome of the diagnosis. The case study isconsidered as an effective strategy for challenging differenttheoretical assumptions. The case study also acts as a source ofideas about different behaviors. For example, the case study reportedin the article illustrates the behavior of health care providers andparents when dealing with a dilemma of truthfulness in the healthcare sector. Therefore, the illustration provided in the form of acase study help the readers understand the issue reported in thearticle better.
Fourth,the authors of the article addressed both sides of the issue, whichinclude the problem and the solution. This is confirmed by the factthat they discussed the implications of telling the lie to the clientand suggested a solution, which is the respect for the autonomy ofthe patient by telling the truth at all times.
Thearticle has two key weaknesses that limit its reliability. First, theauthors relied on articles published by other scholars, which impliesthat they did not have control over the quality of the data that wasused to make conclusions on those research papers. It is possiblethat the authors included the errors committed by other researchers.Secondly, there is a high risk of bias since the researchers who usequalitative design can influence the findings of the study. Forexample, the authors used their opinions to discuss the applicationof the principles of ethics. This discussion was not based on anystatistical findings, which implies that the conclusion drawn fromsuch a discussion could be biased. This reduced the reliability aswell as the generalizability of the information contained in thearticle.
Thearticle addresses a critical issue of ethics in the health caresector. The first lesson learned from the article is the fact thatethics influence the efficiency of the treatment process. Forexample, telling clients the truth about the outcome of the diagnosisimproves the trust between the client and the health care providers.Secondly, the health care providers are in a better position tounderstand the importance of telling the truth to their clients. Thehealth care providers are supposed to respect the opinions of thefamily members. However, it is important to weigh between thefamily’s opinion and the implications of telling a lie to thepatient. The autonomy of the client is more important and should begiven a priority over the opinion given by the family members. Thisimplies that the health care providers have a duty to tell the truthas long as that truth will increase the autonomy of the client.
Thearticle “Truth-telling and an adolescent diagnosed with a malignantbrain tumor: Who are we protecting?” provides reliable informationabout the significance of telling the truth to patients. By tellingthe truth, the health care providers are able to improve trust thatexists between them and their clients. This improves theeffectiveness of the treatment process.
Reference
Manicat-Emo,A., Bankas, D., Bradbury, L., & Espedido, B. (2010).Truth-telling and an adolescent diagnosed with a malignant braintumor: Who are we protecting? CanadianJournal of Neuroscience Nursing,32 (3), 36-40