• 17
  • February
    2012

Human error is present in every workplace. Teachers, lawyers, construction workers, salespeople and physicians all make mistakes. However, when the health and safety of average New Jersey residents is at risk, it is vital that workers admit to these mistakes and take responsibility for them so that the given situation can be rectified.

Unacceptably, a recent study suggests that a significant minority of physicians lie to their patients, often because they are afraid of being sued for medical malpractice.

The Harvard Medical School study indicates that over 10 percent of physicians admit that they have lied to patients in the past 12 months. A fifth of doctors surveyed also admit that fear of medical malpractice suits has previously inspired them to hide medical errors from patients.

Perhaps most upsetting, however, is that more than a third of physicians do not unequivocally believe that doctors should fully disclose noteworthy medical errors to patients who have been affected by those errors.

One of the foundations of patient safety is patient-provider communication. If physicians fail to deliver information about patient care honestly and completely, patient safety may easily suffer overall. In addition, it is a patient's basic right to be informed about what has affected his or her body. Violation of that right to education is cause for serious concern.

Though some physicians admit to lying to their patients because they do not want to distress their patients, the principle of dishonesty in the physician-patient relationship remains troubling. Without accurate information about their care, patients cannot make informed decision about their care plans going forward.

Regardless of the reasons for their dishonesty, fibbing physicians are a cause for alarm. Though no one likes to make mistakes, patients have a right to hold physicians accountable for them and have a right to be accurately informed about their care.

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