Why do patients lie to doctors?

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Honesty is very important in life but the least honest a person is when they’re sitting in front of a Doctor. I’m on the other side of the table so I wonder what actually goes on in the minds of patients when they lie to us.

After speculations and discussions, I’ve come to a few conclusions that I’d like to share with all of you. The few top responses to why patients lie to doctors were:

• Denial:

Patients don’t want to accept that the problem he has come with could be a bigger disease, so as self-preservation they don’t want to accept the facts. So they Lie.

We all should realize one fact in life, every problem could be solved but the first step is to accept that you have a problem.

• Better Image:

Few patients are so conscious about the image they’ll project if they told the full facts that they withhold the information. They don’t want doctors to think that they’re:

• Not serious towards their health
• They’ve faulty habits
• Their lifestyle choices are not good
• They’re irresponsible

And many more of the excuses. But the fact remains that no matter what you tell us we would know after tests and examinations about the facts.

All patients do by withholding facts is to prolong the time we’ll reach on a certain diagnosis.

• Want specific treatment:

Many patients visit for a specific to the point treatment to a certain part of the body which has a problem, so they try and mislead us about other problems.

Patients should realize one fact about our body that our body is not a car. We can’t just change the battery and leave the engine problem. Every organ is related to other, it’s a unit which has to treated together, so withholding information about other diseases would not help us resolve your problem.

• Don’t want the doctor to think bad of them:

A lot of patients hides the facts because they don’t want doctors to judge them or think bad about them. Like patients who drink or smoke would hide this fact so that we’re not judgmental towards them.

It’s our profession to deal with all your problems. Even if you hide it we’ll know by examination so it’s better to come clean so that we could work out a solution that helps us in resolving your problems.

Next time you visit Us I want you to think about all the points I’ve discussed and then tell us about your presenting complaints truthfully.

Doctors are there to Help and Treat, so let’s work together towards Healthy Life.

Have a Healthy Life.