Defining diagnostic disclosure in the acute care setting: A concept analysis.
Katherine S Pitcher, Lauren Massimo, Michael A Stawnychy and 1 others
PMID 41930882WHAT IT FOUND
Full diagnostic disclosure in acute care means a clinician names the diagnosis and explains it to the hospitalized adult.
Partial or euphemistic talk is not enough. Nurses can check patient awareness and advocate for a clear disclosure conversation.
Key findings
01Full diagnostic disclosure means the clinician names the diagnosis and explains it, including details about symptoms or treatment.
02A patient who can accurately self-report their diagnosis is a practical observable sign that diagnostic disclosure has occurred.
03Nurses can evaluate whether a hospitalized patient understands their diagnosis, advocate for disclosure, and reinforce education and discharge support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a concept analysis, not a trial of disclosure, so it does not show that disclosure improves outcomes. The included literature was mostly observational, qualitative or descriptive, and the paper says higher-level evidence such as cohort studies or randomized controlled trials is lacking. Only English full texts were included, so non-English work was missed. The analysis focused on disclosure to patients and does not address disclosure to next of kin or family members. Only six included articles explicitly used the term diagnostic disclosure.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the listed consequences as proven effects of diagnostic disclosure. This is a concept analysis of existing literature, not a trial, and the evidence was mostly observational, qualitative or descriptive.