• 09
  • February
    2012

Readers in the Cleveland area who believe that open and honest communication between doctors and patients is the best way to ensure high-quality health care will probably be dismayed to learn that one in three doctors surveyed for a new study did not think that serious medical errors need to be disclosed to patients. But that is what researchers behind a study published in this month's issue of the journal Health Affairs discovered.

The report finds that 34 percent of doctors who participated in the survey did not check "completely agree" in answer to the statement that physicians should disclose all significant medical errors to their patients. A significant number of the doctors have put that theory into practice, with 20 percent of physicians admitting that they either covered up medical errors or did not tell the whole truth. A smaller number, 11 percent, said they have actively lied to a patient within the past year.

The doctors' justifications for being dishonest to their patients include fear of exposing themselves to a medical malpractice lawsuit. But as the study points out, many patients who were harmed during medical care simply want to know what happened. Disclosing errors often reduces the affected patient's desire to pursue a lawsuit, the researchers said.

Other physicians said that they do not tell their patients everything due to uncertainty about the patient's prognosis, lack of time or because they are embarrassed about their mistake. Interestingly, white male doctors were more likely to disagree that physicians should honor the principle of honesty and openness with patients.

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