Cleveland Medical Malpractice Lawyer Points Out Doctors Lie to Avoid Being Sued

Cleveland, OH (Law Firm Newswire) April 24, 2012 – Evidently, even doctors lie when they think they may be in trouble and can avoid taking responsibility for their actions.

“It is rather dismaying to note that a recent study has found that roughly 11 percent of physicians admit they have lied to a patient or a child guardian within the past year. A further 20 percent indicate they haven’t told the patient about the mistake because they were afraid of being sued,” outlined Christopher Mellino. Mellino is a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer of the Mellino Law Firm LLC, in Ohio.

While these revelations may come as a shock to a great number of people who trust their medical practitioners implicitly, they are not unexpected as doctors are human as well. The bottom line is that just about every human being on the planet has, at one time or another, told a lie. The difference is that lying about a medical issue that may cause harm to someone or kill them is a far greater sin.

“It appears from the Harvard Medical school survey results that close to 34 percent did not agree completely that they should reveal all significant medical errors to their patients. Rather they were somewhat in agreement that they should, or flat out disagreed. If I were a patient reading this information, I’d be likely to take a rather jaded view of the medical profession and be understandably leery about seeing a doctor,” added Mellino.

The last thing ill patients need from their doctor are lies. Many Americans would prefer they got accurate and complete information to allow them to make informed decisions about their care in partnership with the doctor. The very bastion of patient centered care, respecting the needs and preferences of the patient, seems to not hold up in light of the findings that indicate doctors lie to avoid lawsuits. If there is not complete honesty and openness in the doctor/patient relationship, this does not bode well for health care as it should be.

“There is however, something to be said for the complexity of medical issues and a doctor speaking ‘too soon’ and finding out later that what they said turned out to be wrong. In that light, one may understand a little more, why doctors avoid telling patients the truth if they have made a mistake. Nonetheless, lying is never healthy for any kind of relationship, and often results in medical malpractice lawsuits; the very thing the doctor wanted to avoid in the first place,” Mellino explained.

The bottom line is that patients come first and are at the virtual mercy of the medical professional. They expect, and rightfully so, good care, accurate diagnosis, the correct treatment and honesty. Withholding information is a travesty, and does the patient an enormous disservice.

To learn more or to contact a Cleveland Medical Malpractice attorney or Cleveland malpractice attorney, visit http://www.christophermellino.com.

Mellino Law Firm LLC
200 Public Sq., Suite 2900
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Call: (216) 241-1901

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