How honest are you with your doctor?

New research has shown that patients are much less likely to lie to a computer than their own doctor.

Are you 100% honest with your doctor when he/she asks about your diet and lifestyle or do you fib to make yourself look better?

Most people bend the truth about what they eat, how much they exercise and how much they drink for fear of being judged by their doctor. Many people also find it difficult to discuss intensely personal matters with their doctor because of embarrassment. This can be a problem because it may lead to an incorrect diagnosis or the prescription of an inappropriate medication.

Modern technology may have a solution. Research published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior showed that patients are more comfortable discussing private matters with computer-created entities, and this prompted them to disclose more information.

It’s an interesting concept. Perhaps in the future we’ll have robots conducting consultations, but in the meantime, please try to be as honest as possible with your doctor. We need accurate information from you in order to give you the best possible help. There really is no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed about some of your behaviour because we really have heard it all and we don’t expect you to be perfect. We are all human after all.

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