Telling the Truth to Cancer Patients and Patients with HIV‐1 Infection in Japan

Good communication with patients receiving bad news about cancer in Japan

“…Cultural characteristics may thus affect the way in which the truth is told in cancer care practice (Holland et al, 1987;Nilchaikovit et al, 1993;Baile et al, 2002). In Japan, the family's decision is more likely to be respected than the individual's (Uchitomi and Yamawaki, 1997;Mitsuya, 1997;Akabayashi et al, 1999). Therefore, some of the results obtained in studies done in Western countries may be applicable in Japan, while others may not.…”

Desejo de informação e participação nas decisões terapêuticas em caso de doenças graves em pacientes atendidos em um hospital universitário

“…Em estudo realizado na Grécia, 51,9% dos entrevistados disseram desejar serem informados em caso de diagnóstico de câncer 10 . Quanto à informação, alguns estudos prévios mostraram que 87,3% dos pacientes são informados do diagnóstico de câncer nos EUA, 51,9% na Itália e 29,5% no Japão 6,11 . A porcentagem encontrada em nosso estudo indubitavelmente mostra o desejo da amostra estudada em saber o diagnóstico.…”

How HIV infected haemophiliacs in Japan were informed of their HIV-positive status

“…It has been pointed out that physicians in charge were reluctant to notify the patients of their positive results (Matsuda, 1990;Tarui, 1992). There is a report that physicians in charge did not provide haemophiliac patients with HIV antibody tests because they were afraid of the results being positive (Mitsuya, 1997). There is also a view that physicians in charge attitudes of not notifying patients arose because physicians in charge intended to avoid assuming responsibility for the medically induced HIV, and to delay the issue being brought up in society (Tokyo HIV Lawsuit Plaintiff Corps, 1995).…”

“…One factor that we found contributed to the delay of noti cation was the paternalism of Japanese physicians. In Japan, even today, physicians tend to take a paternalistic attitude towards their patients (Le ar, 1997;Mitsuya, 1997;Tsukamoto, 1996); and they were more so towards the haemophiliac patients because physicians in charge had seen the patients from childhood and watched over their growth like parents. Quite a few haemophilia specialists held the philosophy that 'I will not notify the patient of his/her infection so that he/she will not be bothered by the distress of HIV infection and will be able to live a discrimination-free social life' (Tokyo HIV Lawsuit Plaintiff Corps, 1995).…”