The evils of sugar coating !?

How can a small white lie affect a persons recovery?

Would you rather have all your cards laid out on the table and be given the bare facts or would you rather have a more positive outlook and be told only what you can handle? For example:

If patient A was told:

“You have a very serious break. This will heal in time however it will take many months and you will continue to have various problems for the rest of your life with this area. You may have to face surgery in the future”

Would they have the same recovery rate a patient B if they were told:

“You have a break, we are going to treat it conservitably but are hoping you should make a good recovery”

When you look at these 2 statements they are for the same injury but the patient is being given different levels of detail although they are saying the same thing. Patient A is given a very realistic if not slightly negative outlook where Patient B is given a positive and though possibly unachievable perspective.

With this in mind would each patient recover at the same rates or to the same level? Patient A could adopt a defeatist attitude and so not work as hard at their recovery feeling that there is ‘no point’. On the flip side they could choose to prove the consultants wrong by working extra hard throughout their rehabilitation to make the most of what they have and are able to do by aiming to exceed the consultant’s expectations.

From this is could be argued that patient B would be expected to make a better and quicker recovery. However it should be considered how the patient may react when they find out the full scale of their injuries. This could have a detrimental affect on their recovery/give them a set back while they try to process the new information. If they are given false hope and targets it can be disheartening when they are not able to meet them.