Question

Short Answer: Why is the transparent and truthful sharing of information so essential in the patient-clinician relationship? Consider this from the perspective of both the patient and the clinician.

Answer 1

In a patient clinician relationship, normally there is a gross imbalance of knowledge. Healthcare provider, be it physicians, nurses or otherwise are in possession of vital information about a patient's health. Obviously, a patient is anxious to have the full range of information about their own health. Here comes the question of honest and transparent information sharing between the clinician and the patient. Such transparency is essential in the patient clinician relationship for the following reasons:

1. Better self care by the patient:

Honest and frank conversations about the patients health is considered absolutely essential. A patient depends on their healthcare provider to educate them about their condition, treatment options and decipher complex medical information accurately. Such honest communication leads a patient to have a better understanding of their condition. In case of a chronic disease, this is extremely crucial, as patients spend a large portion of their lives outside hospitals and clinics, in self care. So for patients of diseases such as Parkinson's disease, a better awareness of their condition would enable them to take better care of themselves.

2. Helps gain trusting and cooperating patients:

From the perspective of a clinician, sharing pertinent medical information honestly promotes better understanding of the condition by the patient. Hence they are more likely to trust their healthcare provider and much more likely to adhere to the prescribed treatment procedure. A trusting and understanding patient makes a clinician's job easier as they tend to be much more cooperative and generally takes better care of themself as they are well educated about their condition.

3. Helpful in complex decision making process:

A complete awareness is especially crucial in case there is a need to make complex medical decisions. In cases where multiple treatment options are available, a better understanding of their condition, and the pros and cons of available treatment options enables the patient to fully participate in the decision making process. Participation of the person being affected by the decision in the decision making process makes the process easier for the clinician, and makes the patient have more faith in the final outcome. In case of such complex procedure with long lasting outcomes, full cooperation of the patient is absolutely essential.

4. Better usage of resources of both the patient and the healthcare provider:

In case of possible terminal illness, honest communication about the fatal nature of the disease can provide the patient with some sense of relief from anxiety about their condition. It can prevent the patient from seeking expensive but futile treatment, spare them the agony of extended hospital stay and enable them to spend more time with their friends and family. Having full information about their possible fatal condition can help patients make more informed choices. From the perspective of the clinician, it promotes better and more efficient usage of healthcare resources as well as the time of healthcare providers.

Thus honest communication and complete awareness, as well as transparency in every step of treatment puts the patients' mind to ease, has positive impacts on their mental health and enables them to make informed choices regarding their health, and take better care of themselves. For the clinicians, truthful sharing of information make ease the decision making process, ensure patients' cooperation and gains their trust, and enables them to allocate and use vital healthcare resources more efficiently.