Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research
Published on: November 26, 2015
What is meant by telling the truth: Bonhoeffer on the ethics of disclosure
1The Hastings Center, New York, USA.
Abstract:
This article explores Dietrich Bonhoeffer's writings on truth telling with reference to the problem of medical error in the US, the UK, and other developed nations, with particular attention to physicians' resistance to disclosing their own mistakes to injured patients and their families. The brief essay 'What is Meant by "Telling the Truth"?' and its historical context--Bonhoeffer's imprisonment and interrogation in 1943--is proposed as a text for medical ethicists and others seeking to overcome the barrier of the 'hidden curriculum' within the culture of medicine, which encourages medical students and physicians to conceal their errors and to fear disclosure.
Related Concept Videos
Ethics in Research
Ethics and Bioethics
Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
Ethical Standards I
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
Ethical Standards II
Nurses are entrusted with upholding various ethical principles and standards. Nurses forge solid therapeutic relationships using trust, empathy, autonomy, confidentiality, and professional competence.
Confidentiality is crucial, embodying respect for individual privacy and...
Understanding Deception

