Responding to Parental Requests for Nondisclosure to Patients of Diagnostic and Prognostic Information in the Setting of Serious Disease

Abstract

Learning that one’s child is seriously ill can be devastating, requiring families to decide when and how to share information about diagnosis and prognosis with their child. In most cases, this disclosure is made thoughtfully and collaboratively with the medical team. Some parents, however, may be concerned that disclosure will take away their child’s hope, cause emotional pain, or exceed the child’s capacity for understanding. Faced with competing obligations of truth-telling to their patient and respect for parental wishes, pediatricians may be unsure how to proceed. This clinical report examines ethical duties and legal considerations, providing practical and culturally sensitive case-based guidance for clinicians to approach parental requests for nondisclosure of diagnostic or prognostic information.