Do Physicians Fib?

Doctors are held in high esteem. They spend an extraordinary amount of time mastering the art and science of medicine. We trust our physicians to make the correct diagnosis, tell us the truth about our condition and recommend the best treatment without any conflict of interest or outside influence.
Do doctors live up to these standards?
When it comes to diagnosis, it is surprising how frequently doctors get it wrong. A landmark article in the Journal of the American Medical Association titled “Diagnostic Errors–The Next Frontier for Patient Safety,” projected that as many as 80,000 “U.S. hospital deaths result from misdiagnosis annually. Roughly 5 percent of autopsies reveal lethal diagnostic errors for which a correct diagnosis coupled with treatment could have averted death.” The authors go on to say, “Diagnostic errors often are unrecognized or unreported, and the science of measuring these errors (and their effects) is underdeveloped.”
Are doctors honest with their patients when it comes to disclosing a misdiagnosis or other medical error?

A recent study published in the journal Health Affairs reveals some astonishing insights about physician integrity. The investigators surveyed roughly 1,900 doctors, including family practice physicians, internists, pediatricians, cardiologists, surgeons, psychiatrists and anesthesiologists. Here is what they discovered:
• “approximately one-third of physicians did not completely agree with the need to disclose serious medical errors to patients
• “almost one-fifth did not completely agree that physicians should never tell a patient something untrue
• “nearly two-fifths of physicians did not completely agree that they should disclose their financial relationships with drug and device companies to patients.
• “Perhaps more important, one-fifth of physicians reported not fully disclosing medical mistakes to patients because of fears of lawsuits, and just over one-tenth said that they had told patients something untrue in the previous year.”
These investigators believe that their findings are probably an underestimation of actual untruths in the real world.
How would you feel if your bank told you that it did not feel the need to disclose serious financial mistakes with your account? Would you ignore an error made by a garage mechanic or plumber? Most people would not, but far too many of us do not hold our doctors to the same standards.
The new research suggests that some physicians feel they can fib with impunity or withhold information from their patients. We have found, however, that when confronted with this evidence, doctors may become defensive and complain about doctor-bashing. Should doctors be accountable for their mistakes? Do they have a responsibility to tell the truth? What do you think? We would like to hear from you. You can learn more in our new book, Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.