( CNN ) -- The doctor-patient relationship is a complex one . It occurs at a stressful and busy time for both the patient and the doctor . Because it involves at least two humans , there are usually at least three versions of the conversation : the doctor 's , the patient 's and the true version . A survey published this week in the journal Health Affairs reflects this complex relationship . Lisa Iezzoni and her colleagues surveyed 1,891 physicians nationwide about how honest they are with their patients regarding medical mistakes and a patient 's prognosis . The survey found that although two-thirds of doctors agree they should share serious medical errors with their patients , one-third did not completely agree . Nearly two-fifths of the respondents said they did not disclose their financial relationships with drug and device companies . And more than 55 % of physicians said they often or sometimes described a patient 's prognosis in a more positive manner than the facts might support . These survey results are unsettling . We all want to think of medicine as an honorable profession and that the people in it work with integrity . While we should all be appalled that a doctor would deceive or lie to a patient , we should also look beyond the white coat for an explanation . While it is not a vindication , the fact is physicians are human . They have all the feelings and failings of humans . Please keep in mind , medical errors can be due to negligence , but they are more often a failure to analyze data appropriately . Many doctor errors are simply a matter of bad luck : The doctor was not good enough that day and would have done better the day before or the day after . Some bad outcomes are not really the physician 's fault . Some doctors do not admit error out of fear of litigation . But my experience is that the discomfort of addressing one 's own failings or weakness is more commonly the reason for not coming forward . It is a normal human tendency to not want to admit an error . Confession is difficult , especially when you have to admit responsibility to the person you have hurt . In the case of a `` bad luck '' outcome , the physician may be unwilling to admit their lack of control . This is often due to a lack of communication during the consenting process -- when doctors explain the possible outcomes or side effects -- and can lead to patient anger when things go badly . Ironically , when I have seen a doctor admit an error , the patient or patient 's family is usually forgiving and rarely sues . So why would a doctor not be honest about a patient 's disease or prognosis ? This is likely because doctors are not always the best communicators . Medical explanations involve defining some complicated things . This is difficult and it is often easier to just not do it . Sometimes there is a tendency to simplify to the point of not telling the truth . It is unfortunate that our medical system pays doctors handsomely to do medical procedures , but does not reimburse well for talking to , counseling and spending time with patients . In a normal office environment , a physician is often forced to see four or more patients per hour . Questions go unanswered or half answered as the physician moves from room to room assessing the patient , reading a patient 's history and lab research , documenting and looking things up . It 's a rare private practice physician who can block extra time for a patient with special needs . This can be costly . Telling a patient bad news is horribly difficult . It is always an emotional struggle for any caring human being . The emotional incentive is to hold back information or be less than honest . It is harder for me to tell a patient that they are dying -- and that all we can reasonably do is try to keep them comfortable -- than it is to tell a family member that a patient has died . As someone who studies how health care is provided and how health care is consumed , this survey 's findings do not surprise me and the solutions are not simple . We need to transform health care . This involves empowering the patient . Patients need to take an interest in their own health . Ask good questions and expect if not demand answers . Some patients will need advocates or navigators to help them . The transformation also involves more members of the medical profession coming to realize the meaning of the term `` profession . '' A `` profession '' is a group of people who put their own interests secondary to the interests of the people they serve . A profession is also a group that educates and polices itself . My greatest concern is many doctors and patients fail to comprehend just how complicated medicine can be . Even doctors fail to remember that medicine is a science and an art , often with unclear answers . There are things in medicine that are scientifically known , and things that are unknown . There are also things that are believed . The wise physician draws a distinction between the three . The unwise doctor often confuses what he believes with what he knows . These unwise doctors may not know they are not telling their patients the truth . The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of CNN , The American Cancer Society , or Emory University .
Survey published in Health Affairs shows one third of doctors do n't share medical errors . Results are unsettling , doctor says , but we should remember that physicians are human . Score: 6