The Seattle Times and other outlets reported on the results of a physician survey published in Health Affairs this week that asks doctors about if and when they lie to their patients. According to the article, " Nearly 20 percent said they hadn't fully disclosed a medical mistake for fear of being sued. And 1 in 10 of those surveyed said they'd told a patient something that wasn't true in the past year."
The survey results point to the importance open communication by both doctors and patients. Doctors may feel they are ultimately helping the patient by lying or omitting information. Given that, it is particularly important for patients to be very clear about what and how much information they want. It is also important for physicians to realize that in order for patients to play an active role in their health care, they need honest and open information from their doctor.
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