The Right Not to Know and the Duty to Tell: The Case of Relatives

Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 42 (1):38-52 (2014)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Obtaining and sharing genetic information when there is a potential conflict of interest between patients and their relatives give rise to two questions. Do we have a duty to find out our genetic predispositions for disease for the sake of our relatives, or do we have a right to remain ignorant? Do we have a duty to disclose our known genetic predispositions for disease to our relatives? I argue that the answer to both questions is yes, but to a lesser extent than sometimes claimed

Categories

Keywords

Reprint years

DOI

10.1111/jlme.12117

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,423

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

My notes

Similar books and articles

Israeli Nurses and Genetic Information Disclosure.Sivia Barnoy & Nili Tabak - 2007 - Nursing Ethics 14 (3):280-294.
Attitudes of physicians and patients towards disclosure of genetic information to spouse and first-degree relatives: a case study from Turkey.Aslihan Akpinar & Nermin Ersoy - 2014 - BMC Medical Ethics 15 (1):39.
The Devil is in the Details: Confidentiality Challenges in the Age of Genetics.Barbara J. Daly, Ashley Rosko, Shulin Zhang & Hillard M. Lazarus - 2015 - HEC Forum 27 (1):79-86.
Is there a duty to remain in ignorance?Iain Brassington - 2011 - Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 32 (2):101-115.
Genomic Inheritances: Disclosing Individual Research Results From Whole-Exome Sequencing to Deceased Participants' Relatives.Ben Chan, Flavia M. Facio, Haley Eidem, Sara Chandros Hull, Leslie G. Biesecker & Benjamin E. Berkman - 2012 - American Journal of Bioethics 12 (10):1-8.
Diversity and uniformity in genetic responsibility: moral attitudes of patients, relatives and lay people in Germany and Israel. [REVIEW]Aviad E. Raz & Silke Schicktanz - 2009 - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 12 (4):433-442.
Conflicts of Interest: experiences of close relatives of patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Ingrid Bolmsjö & Göran Hermerén - 2003 - Nursing Ethics 10 (2):186-198.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the elderly: patients' and relatives' views.G. E. Mead & C. J. Turnbull - 1995 - Journal of Medical Ethics 21 (1):39-44.
Disclosure of genetic information within families: a case report.G. C. Crawford & A. M. Lucassen - 2008 - Clinical Ethics 3 (1):7-10.
Intensive care nurses' involvement in the end-of-life process - perspectives of relatives.R. Lind, G. F. Lorem, P. Nortvedt & O. Hevroy - 2012 - Nursing Ethics 19 (5):666-676.
The Case for a Parental Duty to Use Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for Medical Benefit.Janet Malek & Judith Daar - 2012 - American Journal of Bioethics 12 (4):3-11.
Furthering injustices against women: Genetic information, moral obligations, and gender.Inmaculada de Melo-martín - 2006 - Bioethics 20 (6):301–307.
Informing family members about a hereditary predisposition to cancer: attitudes and practices among clinical geneticists.Y. H. Stol, F. H. Menko, M. J. Westerman & R. M. J. P. A. Janssens - 2010 - Journal of Medical Ethics 36 (7):391-395.
Involving patients and relatives in a Norwegian clinical ethics committee: what have we learned?Reidun Førde & Thor Willy Ruud Hansen - 2009 - Clinical Ethics 4 (3):125-130.
“Obligated Aliens”: Recognizing Sperm Donors' Ethical Obligation to Disclose Genetic Information.Sivan Tamir - 2013 - Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 23 (1):19-52.

Analytics

Added to PP
2014-04-29

Downloads
29 (#540,498)

6 months
7 (#416,569)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

The right not to know and the obligation to know.Ben Davies - 2020 - Journal of Medical Ethics 46 (5):300-303.
Disclosure Two Ways.Erin B. Bernstein - 2015 - Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics 43 (2):245-254.

Add more citations

References found in this work

The family covenant and genetic testing.David J. Doukas & Jessica W. Berg - 2001 - American Journal of Bioethics 1 (3):2 – 10.
Ignorance, information and autonomy.John Harris & Kirsty Keywood - 2001 - Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 22 (5):415-436.
The Family Covenant and Genetic Testing.D. J. Doukas & J. W. Berg - 2001 - American Journal of Bioethics 1 (3):2-10.
Please Don’t Tell Me.Jonathan Herring & Charles Foster - 2012 - Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 21 (1):20-29.
Please Don’t Tell Me.Jonathan Herring & Charles Foster - 2012 - Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 21 (1):20.

View all 16 references / Add more references