PEDIATRICS Vol. 54 No. 2 August 1974, pp. 169-175
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Dilemma of Trust: Relationship Between Medical Care Givers and Parents of Fatally Ill Children

J. Kirkpatrick M.D.1, I. Hoffman Ph.D.1, and E. H. Futterman M.D.1

1 Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago

A major aspect of the course of parental psychosocial adaptation to childhood leukemia is described, focusing specifically upon the course of the parents' relationship with the physician and other care givers. At each stage of illness, situational components which are conducive to trust in the physician are identified along with others that are conducive to mistrust and doubt. Parents are seen as struggling with the dilemma of maintaining trust on the one hand and dealing with skeptical attitudes and angry reactions on the other. With interview data serving as the empirical base, variations in the balance between trust and mistrust are described in relation to stages in the course of the illness. An optimal role for parents in the care of the child is discussed, with the recommendation that parents be included in a meaningful way in decision-making processes.

Submitted on October 15, 1973
Accepted on February 22, 1974




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