Is your doctor telling you the truth? Possibly not, according to a new survey in Health Affairs
of nearly 1,900 physicians around the country. The researchers found
that 55% of doctors said that in the last year they had been more
positive about a patient’s prognosis than his medical history warranted.
And 10% said they had told patients something that wasn’t true. About
a third of the MDs said they did not completely agree that they should
disclose medical errors to patients, and 40% said they didn’t feel the
need to disclose financial ties to drug or device companies. Nearly 20%
of the doctors admitted that they didn’t disclose a medical error to
their patients because they were afraid of being sued for malpractice.
Doctors’ fear of malpractice suits may often be misplaced. Studies
suggest that in cases where physicians are open about their mistakes,
patients are more likely to be understanding and refrain from suing. So
how can doctors learn to be more honest with their patients? More
training about how to communicate with people about their health is
critical — especially when it comes to delivering bad news. Patients
also need to be clear and firm about how honest they want their doctors
to be. Communication is a two-way street, after all, even in the
doctor’s office.
Note: For key reports from reliable sources on important health issues, click here.
READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment