We post an ethical or situational concern that has arisen in a facility where one of our readers works. It has no identifiers included. It gives you only the facts of the case. Then, you can respond to that concern. This is an ongoing dialogue, with comments added as they come in. In the following issue, assuming it has been resolved, we give you the outcome from the facility where the incident took place.

We are always looking for cases. Please send any cases that you would like considered for inclusion to: info@plainviews.org We will ensure that it is stripped of any identifiers. For further guidance about how to write up a CaseConference, please refer to the CaseConference Archives, Vol. 4, No. 3 "How to Submit a Case for CaseConference." (Click HERE)

We hope that this will help to inform not only those who are dealing with the issue, but will enable all of our readers to learn from the experiences and perhaps mistakes of others.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to unanticipated continuing responses to both the case and the resolution of the case, added responses can be viewed in the archives. Click HERE.

Case #22 (see responses below)

The wife of a prominent hospital doctor was admitted with end-stage cancer. When speaking with the chaplain, the patient indicated that she knew that her husband had been reading her chart and felt that her husband wasn't being honest about her prognosis and was hiding information from her. When the chaplain spoke with the husband, he said that he wanted to 'protect' her from the burden of knowledge.

What role could/should the chaplain play, or should the chaplain not get involved?

How could the chaplain help the patient?

How could the chaplain assist the doctor/husband?

Responses:

If the doctor and his wife have developed a relationship in which he now wishes to hide important information from her, the chaplain should not intervene to alter that. The chaplain might feel that it is better for the wife to know, but that would be injecting his/her own issues into an otherwise private matter.

Naturally, the chaplain should be present for both the doctor and his wife. Both have issues they may need to discuss, and the chaplain can play a critical roll in helping to resolve those issues. If the wife
starts to suspect that she is more ill than she has been told, the chaplain can facilitate an exchange between the two spouses in which both are able to discuss the matter openly, and come to a greater
resolution of their outstanding issues.

Rabbi Jim Michaels, D. Min.
Hebrew Home of Greater Washington
Rockville, MD

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