Ethics of Truth-Telling in Medicine

Is it acceptable for doctors to lie to their patients, or withhold some of the truth, if it’s in the patient’s best interest? 

In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen welcome back John Ioannidis, professor of medicine at Stanford University, to discuss the ethical implications of concealing the truth in the medical world, even when it’s for the greater good. 

The conversation touches on the importance of building and maintaining trust in healthcare, cases where that trust has been tested or fractured, the paternalism mindset in medicine, the potential biases in medical research funding, and why building back trust in healthcare is a steep climb. 
 

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All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions Podcast is a production of the UPenn Wharton Lauder Institute through University FM.