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The Tarasoff raid: a new extension of the duty to protect.

The authors discuss the general outlines of the Tarasoff duty of psychotherapists to protect potential victims of their violent patients. They describe the flexible range of clinical responses that therapists have utilized, as well as their professional concerns about preserving patient confidentiality (or at least strictly circumscribing the scope of disclosure when confidentiality must be breached). A recent case is reported that illustrates a striking new extension of Tarasoff, involving a police search and seizure of a psychotherapist's confidential treatment records and tapes, in response to a third-party complaint that the records contained evidence of his patients' violent acts and propensities. The implications of this case are that the therapist's discretion in the assessment of his duty to protect, the selection of a proper course of action, and the implementation of specific responses may be taken out of his hands, for all intents and purposes, and expropriated by law and order officials. Moreover, regardless of whatever clinical approach he adopts and whether or not he issues a warning, his attempts to preserve patient confidentiality are bound to prove unsuccessful in any future legal proceedings. Patient communications are likely to lose their confidential status on the grounds that they caused or triggered the Tarasoff warning (or that they should have triggered it). If the patient directed serious threats against the therapist himself, the court may find that, as a consequence, a "genuine therapeutic relationship" ceased to exist and thereafter all patient disclosures were no longer confidential on that basis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Physician accountability, patient safety and patient compensation.

In Canada, the response to adverse medical events follows one or more of three main paths: patient safety, physician accountability and patient compensation. While their goals differ, each of these responses serves a valuable function. There are however competing imperatives inherent in each response, particularly in terms of information disclosure: Effective patient safety depends on the full and protected disclosure of all information relevant to an adverse event and requires a "no blame" environment. While natural justice demands that a physician be held accountable for his actions, the doctor should be accorded the right of due process and be judged against an established standard of care. This is necessarily a fault-finding activity. Patient compensation meets both accountability demands and the social justice imperatives of supporting a patient injured through physician negligence. The most effective approach is one that achieves balance between competing imperatives. With clear information disclosure rules, patient safety, physician accountability and patient compensation can operate synergistically.

Canada↗

"Reporting costs" to nonoffending parents in cases of intrafamilial child sexual abuse.

Findings from a study of 104 nonoffending parents and their sexually abused children suggest four areas in which nonoffending parents experience significant change or loss as a result of the disclosure of the sexual abuse of their children. The term reporting cost was coined to describe these changes and losses. The four types of reporting costs found are relational, financial, vocational, and residential. Nonoffending parents experienced an average of three major costs from the disclosure of intrafamilial sexual abuse.

Adult↗

Clinical guides to preventing ethical conflicts between pregnant women and their physicians.

We provide a justification for preventive ethics in obstetric practice. Four clinical guides to resolving ethical conflicts between pregnant women and their physicians can be identified: (1) informed consent as an ongoing dialogue between the pregnant woman and her physician, (2) negotiation as a clinical strategy, (3) respectful persuasion as a clinical strategy, and (4) the proper use of ethics committees.

Beneficence↗

Diffusion of information about genetic risk within families.

Recent developments in genetics are likely to exacerbate the ethical issues in clinical practice, especially with regard to privacy and disclosure of genetic information. To evaluate the behaviour of patients with respect to transmitting carrier information, we undertook a survey of 283 families with a balanced chromosomal rearrangement as a model. In these families, 1816 relatives were considered at risk and 806 of them were karyotyped (44.4%). The percentage of karyotypes performed is significantly related to the number of living children of the index couple, the reason for referral, the nature of the anomaly, the training of the counsellor and the age of the index case. This study shows the limits of the screening of at risk individuals within families, based on the willingness of the patients, and addresses practical and ethical issues around family disclosure in medical genetics.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Self-disclosure and the treatment of substance abuse.

Identification and treatment of the substance-abusing physician has led to outcome studies focusing on years of abstinence and resultant work performance, but little has been written addressing the therapeutic changes recovery brings in the personal lives of these physicians or in their approach to similarly addicted patients. The unique position of recovering psychiatrists engaged in the treatment of substance-abusing patients has not been addressed. Self-disclosure is a major issue and becomes unavoidable if the psychiatrists meet their patients at Twelve-Step meetings. This paper begins a discussion of the issues of self-disclosure and anonymity for recovering psychiatrists. The informal method used to gather information highlights the sensitivity of these issues for both patients and psychiatrists. The clinical examples show the importance of evaluating the psychodynamic impact of self-disclosure on the patient, the psychiatrist, and their treatment relationship.

Adult↗

Disclosure of medical errors: ethical considerations for the development of a facility policy and organizational culture change.

The Institute of Medicine report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, has spurred public concern over hospitals' ability to deliver safe care. The health care industry continues to struggle to address these concerns. These efforts have driven the growing expectation that health care practitioners or systems disclose unanticipated outcomes to patients and family members. Although the tort system has been cited as an impediment to medical error disclosure, some organizations and systems have successfully implemented policies calling for full disclosure of errors and unanticipated outcomes. However, most organizations have yet to develop policies concerning error disclosure. This article provides an overview of error disclosure and a model framework for an error disclosure policy. The ethical principle of respect for patient autonomy is emphasized as the driving force in developing an institutional disclosure policy and changing the organizational culture to one that supports development and implementation of such a policy.

Ethics, Institutional↗

Disclosure of diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in French general practice.

Most practitioners find disclosing the diagnosis of Alzheimer s disease (AD) to an individual with dementia very difficult. Literature results show a wide variability in attitudes and clinicalpractice, and diagnosis seems to be more often disclosed to caregivers than to patients. The objective of this study was to examine whether and how diagnosis of AD is disclosed in French general practice and which issues are addressed with the patient. A questionnaire was sent via mail to 1,629 general practitioners (GPs), 1,105 belonging to the Sentinel's network and 524 specially recruited doctors practicing in the Rhône-Alpes region. A total of 631 questionnaires were returned (response rate, 39 percent), of which 616 were eligible for analysis. Twenty-eight percent of GPs reported having disclosed diagnosis to the patient (25 percent mentioned "Alzheimer's disease"), whereas 88 percent considered it their role to announce the diagnosis to the patient. Regarding the type of information provided to the patient, only 25 percent discussed the nature of the illness, 23 percent behavioral problems, and 47 percent depression, mainly for psychological reasons (63 percent). Stress was discussed with 79 percent of the caregivers. We concluded that GPs do not discuss the consquences of AD and symptoms (e.g., behavioral disorders) with patients, mainly for psychological reasons, whereas they have a less-reluctant attitude toward caregivers. As the GP has the weighty task of providing ropriate community care and psychological support to the patient, it is of utmost importance to reflect on how disclosure of diagnosis can be facilitated.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Medical error identification, disclosure, and reporting: do emergency medicine provider groups differ?

OBJECTIVES: To determine if the three types of emergency medicine providers--physicians, nurses, and out-of-hospital providers (emergency medical technicians [EMTs])--differ in their identification, disclosure, and reporting of medical error. METHODS: A convenience sample of providers in an academic emergency department evaluated ten case vignettes that represented two error types (medication and cognitive) and three severity levels. For each vignette, providers were asked the following: 1) Is this an error? 2) Would you tell the patient? 3) Would you report this to a hospital committee? To assess differences in identification, disclosure, and reporting by provider type, error type, and error severity, the authors constructed three-way tables with the nonparametric Somers' D clustered on participant. To assess the contribution of disclosure instruction and environmental variables, fixed-effects regression stratified by provider type was used. RESULTS: Of the 116 providers who were eligible, 103 (40 physicians, 26 nurses, and 35 EMTs) had complete data. Physicians were more likely to classify an event as an error (78%) than nurses (71%; p = 0.04) or EMTs (68%; p < 0.01). Nurses were less likely to disclose an error to the patient (59%) than physicians (71%; p = 0.04). Physicians were the least likely to report the error (54%) compared with nurses (68%; p = 0.02) or EMTs (78%; p < 0.01). For all provider and error types, identification, disclosure, and reporting increased with increasing severity. CONCLUSIONS: Improving patient safety hinges on the ability of health care providers to accurately identify, disclose, and report medical errors. Interventions must account for differences in error identification, disclosure, and reporting by provider type.

Academic Medical Centers↗

How patients with gynecological cancer experience the information process.

This qualitative study was designed to explore the kind of experiences women with a diagnosis of gynecological cancer have with regard to information given during their illness and how it could be improved. Data were collected through a semistructured interview which focused on the 24 women's experiences of the information given. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim for each participant, and analysed using a content analysis. Two main themes were revealed: to actively address questions, and the right to receive honest information. The results also include a short description on how information was offered, the patients' opinion of it and how the patients had sought information for themselves. When patients address questions they want honest answers. Some effort should also be made to identify patients who do not want information. If it is in accordance with the patient's and next-of-kin's wishes, efforts should be made to provide information at times when both can participate. Information given jointly to the patient and her family lessens the burden for the patient. In Sweden today, as a result of recent political decisions, caregivers must also consider the need to discuss economic issues.

Adult↗

Assessment of satisfaction with the communication process during consultation of cancer patients with potentially curable disease, cancer patients on palliative care, and HIV-positive patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of cancer patients towards the medical interview and to determine their psychosocial satisfaction subsequent to the dialogue. The answers given by patients with curable cancer were compared to those given by cancer patients whose treatment intent was palliative and to the replies of patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a nonmalignant but also incurable state. The subject population comprised a total of 139 patients. Patients had to complete a questionnaire with a total of 34 items. The answers to the questions were rated on a 5-point scale with response options ranging from 1 to 5 or consisting of true-false statements. Cancer patients, palliative and curative, and HIV-positive patients considered their physicians to be honest (x = 4.34, x = 4.58, and x = 4.30, respectively; p = 0.104), and they emphasized that he/she took enough time answering their questions (x = 4.00, x = 4.30 and x = 4391, respectively; p = 0.12). Cancer patients treated with potentially curable disease were more frequently afraid of being informed about additional diagnostic examinations and about the disclosure of results as compared to cancer patients on palliative care (p < 0.05 for both questions). Patients with HIV-infection considered themselves less informed about the treatment they received as compared to curative cancer patients (x = 3.73 and x = 4.28, respectively; p < 0.046). Only 8.0% of the tumor patients on palliative care, but 63.6% of the HIV-positive patients realized that their medication was given with the objective to relieve symptoms (p < 0.001). When asked about additional goals of treatment, 48% of the palliative cancer patients and 15.1% of the HIV-positive patients checked "cure" (p < 0.002). In conclusion, particularly patients with curable cancer were afraid of information they might receive during the medical interview. Cancer patients considered themselves better informed compared to patients with HIV-infection. This is in significant contrast with the actual, measurable knowledge about their disease in the latter group. It is indeed surprising that only a small minority of incurable cancer patients realized that the goal of the medical care they received was relief of symptoms, the principle objective of palliation.

Adult↗

Some bond authorities fight disclosure rules.

While the group that represents tax-exempt bond authorities would like to see that investors receive more financial information from hospitals, some of its members are fighting proposed disclosure guidelines because they're fearful the rules would swamp their staffs with added paperwork and other administrative burdens and, in some cases, even threaten their very existence.

Financial Audit↗

Fear of HIV contagion as workplace stress: behavioral consequences and buffers.

This article conceptualizes employees' fears for their health on the job as a form of stress with a collective, detrimental impact on work behavior. It tests a job-control of stress reduction that focuses on reducing uncertainty. Results indicate that fear levels are lower in organizations that have policies providing employees with certain types of information about the stressor. Analysis reveals that mechanisms conveying explicit information, rather than information that is indirect or implied, have the strongest association with lower fear levels. Hypotheses are tested in the context of nursing staff fears of contagion from HIV-infected patients, using data from 558 randomly selected hospitals nationwide. Implications for the policymaking dilemma of conflicting rights to privacy and disclosure are discussed.

American Hospital Association↗