Have you or a family member received a potentially serious or scary medical diagnosis? Do you believe you may be experiencing a serious problem but your doctor cannot find anything wrong or all treatments seem ineffective? Now may be a very important time for you to get the input of a different doctor or medical provider.
WebMD explains that, as the patient, you always the right to get additional opinions. Your health is yours and nobody else’s. While, it is understandable that you may feel unsure about doing this as you do not want to be disrespectful to your existing physician, you should always be prepared to seek a second opinion. In fact, respectable healthcare providers will understand, appreciate and even support your decision to do so.
One time when you might want to get a second opinion is after you are presented with a treatment option that may be experimental. This could involve the use of a medication or a device that is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If you do not fully understand a diagnosis or treatment recommendation, talking to a different person can help you to get a better view of your situation.
When looking for a provider from whom to obtain additional input, you should always go to a different clinic, hospital or health care system. Because groups generally share a common approach to medicine, this is the best way to get a truly new look at your situation. If you would like to learn more about how to get a second opinion, please feel free to visit the missed or wrong diagnosis page of our Massachusetts malpractice website.
