Article 1219 of China’s Civil Code, in force since January 1, 2021, requires medical staff to explain a patient’s condition and treatment to the patient. Before surgery, special examinations or special treatment, they must explain the risks and the alternatives and obtain the patient’s clear consent. Where this is “impossible or unsuitable,” they explain it to the patient’s close relatives and obtain their consent instead.
In a 2013 study by researchers at Peking University, 104 of 186 family members of patients with oral and maxillofacial cancer said the patient should not be told the truth. The most common reason they gave was fear of psychological harm.