Truth-telling in clinical practice and the arguments for and against: A review of the literature

Journal article


Tuckett, Anthony G.. (2004). Truth-telling in clinical practice and the arguments for and against: A review of the literature. Nursing Ethics. 11(5), pp. 500 - 513. https://doi.org/10.1191/0969733004ne728oa
AuthorsTuckett, Anthony G.
Abstract

In general, most, but not necessarily all, patients want truthfulness about their health. Available evidence indicates that truth-telling practices and preferences are, to an extent, a cultural artefact. It is the case that practices among nurses and doctors have moved towards more honest and truthful disclosure to their patients. It is interesting that arguments both for and against truth-telling are established in terms of autonomy and physical and psychological harm. In the literature reviewed here, there is also the view that truth-telling is essential because it is an intrinsic good, while it is argued against on the grounds of the uncertainty principle. Based on this review, it is recommended that practitioners ought to ask patients and patients’ families what informational requirements are preferred, and research should continue into truth-telling in clinical practice, particularly to discover its very nature as a cultural artefact, and the other conditions and contexts in which truth-telling may not be preferred.

Keywordsarguments against; arguments for; clinical practice; truth-telling
Year2004
JournalNursing Ethics
Journal citation11 (5), pp. 500 - 513
PublisherSage Publications Ltd.
ISSN0969-7330
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1191/0969733004ne728oa
Scopus EID2-s2.0-4944230872
Page range500 - 513
Research GroupSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/85xz9/truth-telling-in-clinical-practice-and-the-arguments-for-and-against-a-review-of-the-literature

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 157
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Validation of an instrument to measure moral distress within the Australian residential and community care environments
Burston, Adam, Eley, Robert, Parker, Deborah and Tuckett, Anthony. (2017). Validation of an instrument to measure moral distress within the Australian residential and community care environments. International Journal of Older People Nursing. 12(2), pp. 1 - 10. https://doi.org/10.1111/opn.12144
Patients' and family members' views on how clinicians enact and how they should enact incident disclosure :the "100 patient stories" qualitative study
Iedema, R, Allen, Suellen, Britton, K, Piper, D, Baker, A, Grbich, C, Allan, Alfred, Jones, Liz, Tuckett, Anthony Gerrard, Williams, Allison, Manias, Elizabeth and Gallagher, T. (2011). Patients' and family members' views on how clinicians enact and how they should enact incident disclosure :the "100 patient stories" qualitative study. BMJ (Clinical Research Edition). 343, pp. 1 - 9. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4423
Access to and support for continuing professional education amongst Queensland nurses: 2004 and 2007
Hegney, Desley, Tuckett, Anthony, Parker, David and Robert, E. (2010). Access to and support for continuing professional education amongst Queensland nurses: 2004 and 2007. Nurse Education Today. 30(2), pp. 142 - 149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2009.06.015
A systematic review: Students with mental health problems-A growing problem
Storrie, K., Ahern, Kathy and Tuckett, Anthony. (2010). A systematic review: Students with mental health problems-A growing problem. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 16(1), pp. 1 - 6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-172X.2009.01813.x
Career breaks and intentions for retirement by Queensland's nurses-A sign of the times?
Eley, R., Parker, David, Tuckett, Anthony and Hegney, Desley. (2010). Career breaks and intentions for retirement by Queensland's nurses-A sign of the times? Collegian. 17(1), pp. 38 - 42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2009.10.004
Construct validity and reliability of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work index for Queensland nurses
Parker, David, Tuckett, Anthony, Eley, R. and Hegney, Desley. (2010). Construct validity and reliability of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work index for Queensland nurses. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 16(4), pp. 352 - 358. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-172X.2010.01851.x
Workplace violence: Differences in perceptions of nursing work between those exposed and those not exposed: A cross-sector analysis
Hegney, Desley, Tuckett, Anthony, Parker, David and Eley, R. (2010). Workplace violence: Differences in perceptions of nursing work between those exposed and those not exposed: A cross-sector analysis. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 16(2), pp. 188 - 202. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-172X.2010.01829.x
Cohort profile: The Nurses and Midwives e-Cohort Study - A novel electronic longitude study
Turner, Catherine, Bain, Chris, Schluter, Philip J., Yorkston, Emily, Bogassian, Fiona, McClurre, Rod, Hungtington, Annette, Tuckett, Anthony Gerrard, Hegney, Desley, Thompson, David Robert and Stewart, Simon. (2009). Cohort profile: The Nurses and Midwives e-Cohort Study - A novel electronic longitude study. International Journal of Epidemiology. 38(1), pp. 53 - 60. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dym294
Regional differences among employed nurses: A Queensland study
Henwood, T., Eley, R., Parker, David, Tuckett, Anthony and Hegney, Desley. (2009). Regional differences among employed nurses: A Queensland study. Australian Journal of Rural Health. 17(4), pp. 201 - 207. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1584.2009.01072.x
Learning style and learning needs of heart failure patients
Boyde, Mary, Tuckett, Anthony Gerrard, Peters, Robyn, Thompson, David Robert, Turner, Catherine and Stewart, Simon. (2009). Learning style and learning needs of heart failure patients. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 8(5), pp. 316 - 322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcnurse.2009.05.003
Caring in residential aged-care. Qualitative findings from an e-cohort sub-study
Tuckett, Anthony Gerrard, Hughes, Karen, Gilmour, Jean, Hegney, Desley, Huntington, Annette and Turner, Catherine. (2009). Caring in residential aged-care. Qualitative findings from an e-cohort sub-study. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18(18), pp. 2604 - 2612. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02735.x
Validation of CARE-Q in residential aged-care: Rating of importance of caring behaviours from an e-cohort sub-study
Tuckett, Anthony Gerrard, Hughes, Karen, Schluter, Philip J. and Turner, Catherine. (2009). Validation of CARE-Q in residential aged-care: Rating of importance of caring behaviours from an e-cohort sub-study. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18(10), pp. 1501 - 1509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02723.x
The internet as a research site: Establishment of a web-based longitudinal study of the nursing and midwifery workforce in three countries
Huntington, A, Gilmour, Jean, Schluter, Philip, Tuckett, Anthony Gerrard, Bogossian, Fiona Elizabeth and Turner, Catherine. (2009). The internet as a research site: Establishment of a web-based longitudinal study of the nursing and midwifery workforce in three countries. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 65(6), pp. 1309 - 1317. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.04995.x
Learning for heart failure patients (the L-HF patient study)
Boyde, Mary, Tuckett, Anthony Gerrard, Peters, Robyn, Thompson, David Robert, Turner, Catherine and Stewart, Simon. (2009). Learning for heart failure patients (the L-HF patient study). Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18(14), pp. 2030 - 2039. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02716.x
The National Open Disclosure Pilot: Evaluation of a policy implementation initiative
Iedema, Rick, Mallock, N., Sorensen, R., Manias, Elizabeth, Tuckett, Anthony, Williams, Allison, Perrott, Bruce, Brownhill, S H., Piper, D, Hor, S, Hegney, Desley, Scheeres, H B. and Jorm, C M.. (2008). The National Open Disclosure Pilot: Evaluation of a policy implementation initiative. Medical Journal of Australia. 188(7), pp. 397 - 400.
Patients' and family members' experiences of open disclosure following adverse events
Iedema, Rick, Sorensen, R., Manias, Elizabeth, Tuckett, Anthony, Piper, D, Mallock, N, Williams, Allison and Jorm, C M.. (2008). Patients' and family members' experiences of open disclosure following adverse events. International Journal for Quality in Health Care. 20(6), pp. 421 - 432. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzn043
Part ii: Group discussion as a method: Experience; rationale and limitations
Tuckett, Anthony and Stewart, Don. (2004). Part ii: Group discussion as a method: Experience; rationale and limitations. Contemporary Nurse. 16(3), pp. 240 - 251.
Qualitative research sampling: The very real complexities
Tuckett, Anthony G.. (2004). Qualitative research sampling: The very real complexities. Nurse Researcher. 12(1), pp. 47 - 61. https://doi.org/10.7748/nr2004.07.12.1.47.c5930
Collecting qualitative data: Part 1 journal as a method: Experience; rationale and limitations
Tuckett, Anthony and Stewart, Don. (2003). Collecting qualitative data: Part 1 journal as a method: Experience; rationale and limitations. Contemporary Nurse. 16(February), pp. 104 - 113.