Table 2.
Demographics | |
Age | 27 years old |
Years of clinical experience | 3 years |
Gender | Female |
Position | Medical officer |
Department | Medical oncology |
Brief summary of event that precipitated MD | |
Patient is an elderly male who was revealed to have metastatic lung disease after initial presentation for shortness of breath. He actively seeks to know the diagnosis, but the family is not keen for the patient to know for fear of ‘losing the will to fight’. The team is currently withholding the diagnosis from the patient. | |
Key factors in event that were at odds with personal values, beliefs or practices | |
Factors | At odds with (in order of importance) |
1. Withholding of diagnosis from the patient | 1. Respect for patient’s autonomy |
2. Professional code of conduct by the hospital which directs us to disclose the diagnosis to the patient | |
3. Personal experiences with a serious illness in the past, when I had valued knowing the diagnosis to be more mentally prepared for the future. |
RToP-MD, Ring Theory of Personhood-Moral Distress.