Medical Staff

Physicians don't take their own treatment advice

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, April 19, 2011

Physicians don’t do as they say; that is, they don’t follow their own treatment advice, according to a new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

When asked if what kind of treatment they would take if they were patients, physicians chose the course of treatment that carried a higher risk of death but side-effect free outcome, such as surgery. However, physicians tend to play it safe with patients, recommending less risky treatments with higher survival rates.

“Our study does not suggest that physicians always make better decisions for others than they would make for themselves,” say researchers in a BBC article. "At most, our study suggests that in some circumstances, the act of making a recommendation might improve decision making."

Most Popular

Related Articles