About Getting a Second Opinion

Seeking a second opinion from another doctor is quite common today. This practice is especially wise more so before one undergoes an operation or a special treatment. But the problem with this process is that it can lead to more dilemmas as different doctors can have different ideas that can collide. As patients are now more aware of their capacity to ask their doctors further information regarding what it is they have and the treatment options that they can choose from, seeking a second opinion is more and more becoming common. But with it also comes the situation where we find an increasing number of incidents where we have doctors who have differing opinions regarding the same matter. It is with this in mind that I thus, made this short list of caveats on what patients can do when this situation arises.

The first thing that could be done to resolve the situation is for patients to know the reason why the views of the doctors differed in the first place. Could it be that one was suggesting a surgical approach, as that doctor was a surgeon? Or how about the other one who thought of a medical approach because he, on the other hand, was an internist? Basically, it would be rightfully judicious for patients to consider the reasons why the views of the doctors did not match in the first place. Simultaneously, it would also be prudent for patients to discover the credentials of the doctors making the opinions. Who knows, the other doctor could be the Nobel price genius who was the expert in that field and was actually suggesting the better solution. The bottom line is, patients should also try to find out more about their doctors and not just know their specialties because they can use that in weighing whose option they think would benefit them some more.

The next thing that patients can do is to try and share the information they have with their primary physicians. They should trust their own doctors some more and try to discuss and elaborate with them what they were presented with and the treatment options that were given to them. In this connection, patients must remember that they should stay on top of the situation and must not feel pressured. Of course that could be difficult depending on their situation, but it should be borne in mind that good doctors do take time to explain their diagnosis and treatment options to their patients. Thus, patients should not feel rushed and make hurried decisions in whatever it is their doctors plan to do.

Lastly, patients should always be aware of their comfort levels. This is because in the final analysis, doctors can only just plan ahead and determine what it is that they plan to do, but the final decision will always fall on the patients themselves. Thus, patients should trust their gut feelings too, as the answers could be blurry and only they can tell what it is they feel is good for them.