Doctors Surveyed About Honesty and Communication

According to a new study published in Health Affairs, more than half of surveyed doctors said they bent the truth and gave a patient an overly positive prognosis in the past year. The study, which surveyed nearly 2,000 doctors nationwide about honesty, responsibility, and communication, found more than a tenth said they told a patient something that wasn’t true and 20 percent said they didn’t disclose mistakes they’d made out of fear of being sued. Still, most doctors agreed that they should always fully inform their patients and not share confidential information with unauthorized people. More here.