Telling the truth to Asian patients in the hospital setting

Abstract

Full disclosure of health information to patients is considered important in Western culture, but may be less appropriate for patients from other cultures, particularly when conveying news about a diagnosis with a poor prognosis. This issue is becoming important in New Zealand, given the rapidly increasing ethnic diversity of patients presenting to our hospitals. This paper explores culturally appropriate ways of breaking bad news to patients of different ethnicities in the hospital setting, with emphasis on identifying the locus of decision-making within families and decision-making about end-of-life care. Given that the most rapid population growth is presently occurring in the Asian community, attention is focussed on culturally sensitive ways of breaking bad news to Asian patients and their families.