• 17
  • February
    2012

Most of us trust that our doctors and other medical professionals provide us with straightforward answers regarding our medical care. However, a new Harvard University study suggests that doctors may not always be telling us the whole truth, especially when they make an error that could result in patient harm and a medical malpractice lawsuit.

The research study asked approximately 1,900 physicians if they had ever lied to a patient or withheld information regarding a medical error. According to the results of the Harvard study, 21 percent of the doctors polled admitted that they had neglected to inform a patient that they had made a medical error, while 24 percent of the physicians claimed that they have never made a medical error while treating a patient.

One of the most surprising aspects of this study is the fact that 34 percent of the doctors who were interviewed during the study indicated that they did not "completely agree" that physicians should fully disclose all medical errors to their patients. However, according to Dr. Arthur Caplan from the University of Pennsylvania, this line of thinking falls outside of the ethics rules. He believes that withholding information about medical errors is "inexcusable" and that physicians should always be completely honest with their patients.

Fortunately, it appears that some members of the medical community are more prone to disclosing the whole truth than others. The study revealed that women and minority doctors are significantly more likely to strictly uphold the ethics rules than white, male physicians. A recent MSNBC news story also revealed that family practitioners are less likely to withhold information than neurosurgeons or cardiologists.

Patients rely on the advice and direction of their doctors. This study seems to indicate that the medical community needs to take steps to bridge the communication gap between doctors and their patients.

Source: MSNBC, "Many docs tell white lies, study finds" Feb. 8, 2012