Scrubs episode hypothetical question

[Revolver1045]

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Watching an episode where a kid has leukemia and his parents say they're not going to tell him. Is that legal? And if so how would you handle it as a doctor?

 

[armybound]

there are certain cases in which you're allowed to keep a patient's diagnosis from them and tell others. this is common in some cultures, and if you think it will damage the patient more than help (e.g. psychologically) then you can.

 

[DOCTAfoHIRE]

I was under the impression that if the child was under 18 years of age (16??) then the parents could decide their care. Would be interested in knowing under what circumstances this would not apply. Im assuming if the parents decision is clearly not in the best interest of the child's health then the doctor can overrule it? Like if a child comes in with pneumonia a parent cant say that they dont want antibiotics, right?

 

[sunflower18]

I think that the parents can technically hide that, yeah. But leukemia is typically treated very aggressively for a few weeks after diagnosis, so unless the parents were choosing to forego treatment, I don't see how they could keep it a secret. The kid would wonder why his back and ribs kept getting poked, and why he had to get IV drugs every day, I'm sure. And I think the parents choosing to not treat the cancer would be negligence.. I'm not sure!

 

[Ashley1989]

I think you can call CPS if the parents want to hide as well as not treat it. I read an article a while ago about parents who went to jail for not getting their child treatment who died as a result.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Parents are allowed to withhold medical knowledge from their children, though it is encouraged with older children to discuss it with them.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Parents are allowed to withhold medical knowledge from their children, though it is encouraged with older children to discuss it with them.

Legal, yes. Ethical, no. Especially when a patient, for instance a patient with leukemia, has to undergo a procedure... it is wholly unethical not to get assent for the procedure from the patient if they are old enough.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I was under the impression that if the child was under 18 years of age (16??) then the parents could decide their care. Would be interested in knowing under what circumstances this would not apply. Im assuming if the parents decision is clearly not in the best interest of the child's health then the doctor can overrule it? Like if a child comes in with pneumonia a parent cant say that they dont want antibiotics, right?

Emancipated minors can make medical decisions independent of their parents (ie the minor is legally married, the minor is pregnant, etc.) Also in some states and instances, minors can consent to treatment independent of their parents for confidentiality reasons (ie treatment for STD)

And yes, physicians can "overrule" a parent with regards to medical treatments, though it requires a court order and typically has to be a life-threatening indication (eg. Jevovah's Witness and blood transfusions)

 

[zherussianbear]

Watching an episode where a kid has leukemia and his parents say they're not going to tell him. Is that legal? And if so how would you handle it as a doctor?

Perfectly legal (parent = minor's proxy); ethically - a different question.