Sharing personal opinions with patients

CORE Eng

MRTs must maintain defined professional boundaries in therapeutic relationships with patients, treating all patients with respect and dignity while providing care in an unbiased manner.^1,2
- Health professionals know personal information about their patient, while the patient knows little, if any, personal information about the healthcare professional. The knowledge gap can create a power imbalance in the healthcare professional and patient relationship.³

Patients must have an opportunity to ask questions and to receive answers that satisfy their understanding.^4,5

MRTs must provide appropriate responses to patient inquiries about procedures and related issues. MRTs must not provide their personal opinion to the patient regarding the care they receive or do not receive.²
- Discussions with the patient should remain within the scope of practice and facility policies and procedures, regulatory requirements, and legislative acts.^1,2
- This includes ensuring all professional activities with patients do not cause a conflict of interest.¹ Providing personal opinions to patients can introduce a conflict of interest between health professionals and patients.⁶
MRTs use adaptive communication and interpersonal skills with patients to effectively establish and maintain professional relationships.²
- MRTs must have the knowledge, skills and judgment to avoid placing patients at unnecessary risk of harm, pain or distress.² This includes MRTs refraining from sharing, directly or indirectly, their personal opinions regarding the patient’s medical condition, diagnosis and care.

MRTs must accept a patient’s (or their substitute decision maker’s) right to autonomy to consent or refuse a test, procedure or treatment regardless of the MRT’s personal opinion of these actions (see Informed Consent).¹
- MRTs must refer questions that are outside the scope of their professional responsibility to an appropriate healthcare professional for answers.
MRTs who are concerned about the decision-making capabilities of a patient, or the substitute decision maker, should adhere to local policies and procedures that bring forward such concerns to individuals who can support an investigation (e.g., discussion with patient’s healthcare team).