Does the doctor/patient relationship or privilege still hold if a patient lies?
I would not say that there is any automatic voiding of the doctor/patient relationship simply because someone lied. There are many minor lies. People repeatedly lie about the quantity of alcohol they consume. They might lie about having a sexually transmitted disease because of stigma and embarrassment. They might minimize a criminal record if asked if they have had any trouble with the law. Such lies are so commonly made that I would not say that they void the doctor/patient duty. However, if someone is consciously lying and trying to use the clinician as a dupe to accomplish some illegal purpose, such as getting money which is undeserved or to get a letter to avoid reporting to their draft board, then the clinician’s duty is to the truth. The clinician should document it in his records. The clinician can also choose to fire a patient who is noncompliant, who is disrespectful, or who does not pay the bill.
