New research has revealed that 11 percent of doctors polled admitted to telling a patient or a patient's guardian information that was deliberately inaccurate within the past year. The same study found that about 20 percent neglected to fully explain an error on their part out of fear of being sued.

Medical malpractice experts also note that more than one third of physicians polled did not think doctors should inform patients of all medical errors affecting the individual. The findings of the research reveal a disconnect between doctors' views of patients' privilege to their own information and also lend credence to concerns that some patients do not receive the candor and services that they are owed from their doctor.

The research, which was published in the February issue of Health Affairs, was conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School. The researchers noted that the findings bring into question whether patients can benefit from patient-centered care that places all decisions, preferences and requests of the patient ahead of the doctor's opinion. An ability to receive comprehensive, unbiased information from doctors is key to that treatment approach being successful.

Despite the alarming nature of the findings, there is plenty of reason to reserve judgment in Arizona and the rest of the country. Researchers did not attempt to determine the circumstances in which the physicians lied to patients, making it difficult to ascertain the severity of the negligence. Because doctors do not always have information immediately on hand, it can be difficult to define what constitutes a failure to tell the truth. These limitations exemplify the need for further research to gain a better understanding of the role honesty plays in doctors' interactions with patients.

Source; MSNBC, "Many docs tell white lies, study finds" Feb. 8, 2012