Nearly one in five doctors polled by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) says he or she has lied to protect a patient's privacy.
The poll also says nearly three of four doctors have withheld information from patients' records to protect their privacy.
The poll adds ammunition to the association's suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to halt implementation of regulations that the group says would require doctors to provide patient information to government and police agencies. The regulations, initiated by the Clinton administration, are due to take hold in 2003. The AAPS Web site describes the poll and the association's arguments.
The organization also opposes government-mandated childhood vaccines.
