Do patients lie to their doctors?

December 4, 2020

Todd Shryock, contributing author

Logan Lutton

The answer is yes — here's what they lie about.

Patients should be at ease talking about sensitive subjects to their doctors, but a new report shows otherwise. TermLife2Go, a company that helps consumers buy life insurance, asked 500 people if they lied to their doctor.

Here’s what they said.

23 percent said, yes, they had lied to their doctor

46 percent lied about smoking

43 percent lied about exercise habits

37 percent lied about alcohol consumption. More men lied about this topic than women (50 percent versus 32 percent).

29 percent lied about sexual partners. Women were more likely to lie about this topic than men (33 percent versus 21 percent).

Why do people lie to their doctor? Three out of four say it’s to avoid embarrassment. But there are other reasons.

31 percent say they lie to avoid discrimination

22 percent say they don’t think their doctor will take them seriously if they tell the truth

One man lied about alcohol consumption to avoid a lecture

One young woman lied about her sexual activity because her mother was in the room

Do patients lie to their doctors?

Todd Shryock

Logan Lutton

COVID impact on outpatient visits varies widely by specialty: study

Insurance trends physicians need to watch

How often should you review your insurance coverage?