Therapeutic privilege of the elderly cancer patient: case report
Del Castillo García Velázquez Mª.

SUMMARY

Nowadays, therapeutic privilege is considered to be an old and paternalistic attitude from health professionals towards patients, since the Health General Law provides for the patients´ right to be informed about their disease. Otherwise, from an ethic point of view, health professionals would be considered not to recognize the patients´autonomy principle.

However, there are exceptions that should be taken into account. One of them will be dealt with in this article: that in which the medical information can bring about important psychological damage to the patient and/or it can make worse the disease itself.

This article presents a care plan based on Orem´s model for an old person with cancer, from an ethic point of view and under the infirmary principles, the necessity and profit abstained from the application of the therapeutic privilege are analized. This application is made in a punctual way bearing in mind that the person suffer a terminal illness. This means that the person will receive information about treatments, diagnostic tests… but not about the real gravity of his/her illness .

KEY WORDS

Therapeutic privilege, terminal illness, old man, self- care, Orem´s theory, Nursing.

Vol. 14 nº4-2003