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Related Experiment Videos

Defining and delineating a duty to prognosticate.

B A Rich1

  • 1University of California-Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 95817, USA. barich@ucdavis.edu

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics
|August 14, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Physicians often neglect prognostication, the crucial discussion of prognosis with seriously ill patients. This failure, driven by discouraging professional norms, has ethical and legal consequences, impacting informed consent and palliative care.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Bioethics
  • Clinical Communication

Background:

  • Prognostication is frequently omitted by physicians in serious illness care.
  • Physicians often perform prognostication poorly when attempted.
  • Professional norms discourage physicians from engaging in prognostication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the reasons behind physicians' avoidance of prognostication.
  • To examine justifications for the discouragement of prognostication.
  • To assert the professional responsibility of physicians in prognostication.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review on medical ethics and physician communication.
  • Analysis of professional norms and their impact on clinical practice.
  • Ethical reasoning based on the doctrine of informed consent.
Keywords:
Analytical ApproachProfessional Patient Relationship

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Main Results:

  • Physicians' avoidance of prognostication is widespread.
  • Professional norms actively discourage this essential communication.
  • Failure to prognosticate has significant negative implications.

Conclusions:

  • Physicians have a professional duty to competently prognosticate.
  • Informed consent mandates effective prognosis communication.
  • Failure to prognosticate impacts advance directives, palliative medicine, and medical futility discussions.