Abstract

The article focuses on the autonomy of the dying patient as expressed in the right to know the truth about their illness and prognosis, the right to receive support, understanding and respect, as well as the right to make own decisions about their life and death. In brief, the main theme is respect for the dying patient’s autonomy.

It can be safely said that most physicians are not taught how to communicate the truth to dying patients. Some doctors opt for a paradigm in which the opinion, feelings, desires of dying people are not taken into account in the struggle for life. This paternalist point of view sometimes involves manipulating a dying person’s hope through meaningless acts undertaken against death. Informed consent (and other legal instruments) can be a legitimate way of explaining the situation to a dying patient if we are willing to discuss the alternatives to treatment.

Special training courses for medical staff should highlight ideas and techniques that will enable them to respect the wishes and values of a dying man, learning how to “listen correctly” and manifest empathy.

Keywords: autonomy, respect, dying patient, healthcare workers, informed consent, ethical skills, empathy, values, “to say the truth,” DNR, palliative care