Adams J
Grenfell Regional Health Services, Canada.
J Med Ethics. 1990 Dec;16(4):196-9. doi: 10.1136/jme.16.4.196.
A doctor has duties towards his patients of both confidentiality and veracity and at times these may conflict, as in the following case. A mother who has the symptoms of Huntington's chorea does not wish her daughters to know. The doctor must try to make her realise how valuable the information can be to the daughters, and thus obtain her consent to inform them. If the mother's consent cannot be obtained, then the doctor must tell the mother that he cannot allow her attitude to deprive the daughters of this information, especially at this crucial time as they plan to have children. The well-being of the daughters' future families must take precedence over the mother's desire for secrecy regarding her condition.
医生对患者负有保密和诚实的双重责任，而有时这两者可能会产生冲突，如下例所示。一位出现亨廷顿舞蹈症症状的母亲不希望女儿们知道。医生必须设法让她意识到这个信息对女儿们可能多么有价值，从而征得她同意告知女儿们。如果无法获得母亲的同意，那么医生必须告诉母亲，他不能任由她的态度剥夺女儿们获取这一信息的权利，尤其是在她们计划要孩子的这个关键时期。女儿们未来家庭的幸福必须优先于母亲对隐瞒自身病情的诉求。
