Transparency and Duty of Candour

Offering relatives a choice about receiving information is suggested as a way to protect trust while avoiding unwanted disclosure. Healthcare professionals have an ethical duty of candour to be open about care, particularly when a patient has died. Bereaved relatives who discover research participation unexpectedly in medical records may experience increased distress and reduced trust in clinicians. Without openness about research participation, relatives may suspect that clinicians are hiding information or misjudge the significance of the research. Automatic disclosure of research participation without prior consent carries a risk of adding distress to an already intense bereavement experience.