Study: 1 in 10 doctors admits lying to patients
(Source: Health Affairs)
One in 10 doctors have knowingly lied to a patient in the past year, according to a new survey published today in the journal Health Affairs. The study also found more than half had “described a patient’s prognosis in a more positive manner than warranted” while nearly one in five didn’t disclose a medical mistake out of fear of a malpractice lawsuit.
As for who lies, the team of Massachusetts researchers did find some trends: Male doctors tended to be more likely to tell patients untruths, as did those who graduated from medical schools outside of the United States and Canada. The study found breakdowns by specialty too. “General surgeons and pediatricians were most likely to completely agree about needing to disclose all serious medical errors to patients, while cardiologists and psychiatrists were least likely to report this attitude,” the authors conclude.
Of course, some of these survey respondents could be lying about lying, too.
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