Step Four

Based on the foregoing considerations, the physician would appear to have an ethical responsibility to share his discovery with the mother, but the decision to share this information with the father should be at the discretion of the mother. This step would require a careful assessment of Hispanic culture's views on these issues and what eventualities might interfere with the decision.

CONCLUSION

One of the unfortunate consequences of the human condition is the need to make tough decisions based on limited information that can have profound consequences. The research showed that patient autonomy is a particularly important area where the outcomes of ethical decisions can have life-or-death implications. The amount of medical information that should be provided to healthcare consumers involves a number of considerations that must be taken into account in formulating an ethical course of action, but there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach available because everyone is unique. Consequently, there is a need for a flexible ethical decision-making model that can help clinicians weigh the various factors and arrive at an informed and timely decision. In this regard, the transcultural...

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