13 percent of patients lie to their doctors, and almost a third “stretch the truth.”
Chances are most doctors can see through the lies, and in cases like cigarettes or number of sexual partners, physicians already double or triple the numbers patients say anyways.
Why do patients lie? Reasons include “fear of judgment, the desire to appear to be a good patient, a lack of understanding about why certain questions may be asked, and even insurance worries.”
Lying can only do patients harm. An inaccurate base of data can lead doctors astray when forming diagnostic and treatment plans, or worse, increase the risk of medical errors.
I do not know any physician who will render judgments on their patients for their behaviors, and besides, it’s unlikely that a patient can come up with a story that will surprise most doctors.
We’ve heard it all. You can trust me on this.
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{ 5 comments }
If docs “double or triple the numbers patients say,” doesn’t that lead to misdiagnosis for the 87% who don’t lie?
Hate to say it, but doctors do pass judgement on you … very quickly. Don’t believe me ? Go into your doctor, complain about back pain and ask them for pain killers.
You will now experience what it feels like to be accused of being a junkie. I do not personally lie to my doctor, but I could very easily see why someone would. When I run out of my pain killers, it takes me a few weeks to build up the nerve to go ask for a refill. Then spend the next week feeling like a criminal. Hell, even the pharmacist gives me dirty looks.
Its sad, but so true
Couldn’t disagree with you more on this one.
Any patient who’s had psychiatric care will tell you that his/her medical complaints are dismissed as ’somatizing’. Once most MDs know the psychiatry hx, the patient is no longer a person, but a ‘crock’, ‘chronic complainer’, ‘overdramatic’.
Yes, people w/schizophrenia have lousy health habits, smoke and get bloated from the meds we give them. BUT – are those the only reasons their median lifespans are 55 yrs, full 20 years of potential life lost? Don’t think so.
I’ve routinely gotten psych patients like this sent to my ER from psych holding w/asthma, DKA, perf’d ulcer. They were triaged and abn’l VS attributed to ’stress’. Triage RN hears psych hx? Off you go to the mental health folks!
Nope, psych pts can’t win on this one. Neither will we ER docs or primary care docs, unless the stigma is cleaned up.
While it’s true that as physicians we’ve heard it all, *many* doctors don’t hesitate to judge their patients. Most of the time it’s behind their backs, but sometimes it’s to their faces. I’ve overheard lots of very inappropriate remarks from physicians. Many physicians will immediately dismiss complaints from someone who has psychiatric problems or a history of substance abuse. I’ve been on both sides, as a patient labeled as a somaticizer (when I was a teenager, and there definitely was a psychological component, but eventually an EMG revealed severe carpal tunnel) and as a physician. There are lots of insensitive docs out there. While lying is never beneficial to a patient, I completely understand why people do it.
Most of the doctors are social psychologists simply play to the tune of social condition.they make money by simply prescribing.Hence they won’t cure you of any disease/the real docs are few.
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