In the New York Times Health blog an excellent article about stealing hope from patients by their doctor.
I’m often surprised how often doctors are willing to put forth the worst-case scenario without offering the possibility of a best-case scenario.
Why do doctors do it, what possible explanation is offered in this article:
“When the physician feels that he or she really can’t do anything active, they tend to take the most negative scenario as the likely one,'’ said Dr. Groopman.
And well-meaning doctors often see less harm in having been wrong when a person recovers than wrongly predicting a recovery that doesn’t happen, he explained. “In some ways it’s easier to give people the worst news, and then if something good comes about everyone is overjoyed,'’ he said.
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