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How certain are you, doctor?

Jonathan Gillis¹, Bernadette Tobin

¹Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. jonathan.gillis@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies

|May 25, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Pediatric intensive care physicians struggle to answer parental questions about prognostic certainty, impacting their professional duty. Addressing intensive care structure, prognostication neglect, and certainty distinctions can improve physician communication with families.

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Area of Science:

Medical Ethics
Pediatric Critical Care
Clinical Communication

Background:

Parents frequently inquire about prognostic certainty for critically ill children.
Pediatric intensive care physicians often face challenges in providing definitive answers.
This communication gap can lead to parental distress and mistrust.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the difficulties pediatric intensive care physicians encounter when discussing prognostic certainty with parents.
To assert that these communication challenges represent a failure in professional responsibility.
To propose solutions for more authentic and sincere physician responses.

Main Methods:

This study presents a critical analysis of physician communication in pediatric intensive care settings.
It examines the underlying reasons for difficulties in conveying prognostic certainty.
The authors draw upon clinical experience and ethical considerations.

Main Results:

Physicians experience significant challenges in responding to parental questions regarding prognostic certainty.
These difficulties stem from the intensive care environment, inadequate focus on prognostication, and confusion between scientific and practical certainty.
Current communication practices may not adequately meet parental needs for clear information.

Conclusions:

Addressing the structure of intensive care, prioritizing prognostication, and clarifying certainty concepts are crucial.
Improved understanding can enhance physicians' ability to respond authentically to parental inquiries.
This will foster greater trust and support for families during critical illness.