Posted in: | Mar 09,2020
Lying could set more than your pants on fire – if it involves your doctor, it could result in serious medical complications.
Being an informed patent is key to being a safe patient. Part of being an informed patient is to make sure that your doctor has access to all your medical records as well as complete details of your medical history. Your doctor must beware of any medications you are on, as well as the kind of medical issues you have suffered in the past. If you had surgery 10 years ago, inform your doctor about it. Your doctor is a better judge of whether that information is necessary or vital to the treatment of your existing medical condition.
One of the worst things you could do is not be completely honest with your doctor. Any complications that arise or any injuries that you suffer while under the doctor’s care or supervision may not be the direct result of your failure to impart vital formation to the doctor, but it doesn’t do much to strengthen your medical malpractice claim if you decide to hold the doctor accountable for his errors.
According to a new survey by TermLife2Go, most patients are honest with their doctors. As many as 77 percent of the respondents in the survey who were asked about the lies they told their physicians, said that they were upfront and honest with their doctors.
However, there were quite a few respondents who admitted to lying about important aspects of their lifestyle. For example, out of 500 people, 46 percent admitted to having lied about their smoking habits, while 43 percent lied about exercise. About 38 recent lied about their drinking habits, while 29 percent lied about the number of sexual partners they had. Many respondents admitted to lying about multiple issues.
Some of these questions can be embarrassing, and a patient may feel uncomfortable being upfront and completely honest about personal or private details about his life. However, it’s important to remember that doctors need this information in order to make a correct diagnosis and in order to prescribe the most effective treatment options for you. For example, withholding or lying about your prescription drug history can lead to incorrect prescription, and that can actually be dangerous for you.
