For the average patient, it is enough to hear a doctor allude to a possible life-threatening disease to spur him to action towards the first provided medical recommendation. Unless a person has a death wish on himself or has no particular interest to live longer, this is  a very common reaction. Humans have a natural instinct for self-preservation although this is not necessarily a selfish thing. A parent for example would like to stay healthy at least long enough to take care of his children and that is being responsible.  However, more recent statistics are telling us that medical misdiagnosis is happening in the real world at an alarming rate, thus the immense advantage of seeking professional medical second opinion.

What is a Medical Second Opinion?

In simple terms, a medical second opinion is a recommendation we seek from another physician aside from the one who regularly treats us or the one who provided the initial information for an existing or just-discovered medical condition. This can result to either a confirmation of the diagnosis of the first doctor or an entirely different point of view. Patients getting a 3rd, 4th, 5th, or many more opinions is not unheard of. However, this is not recommended for patients who are in immediate need of emergency treatment. Those who should seriously be considering taking reasonable time to find the best option among those offered by professional doctors are patients who were advised to undergo non-emergency surgery or other major medical procedures and testings.

Where do you Get Medical Second Opinion?

If you are to seek medical second opinion, be sure to get it from a physician who is at least of equal qualification with your first doctor. It would make better sense to consult a specialist since you are in effect seeking for reliable information. Most doctors welcome the preference of patients to seek for a medical second opinion because human errors are highly possible. Patients should know that they have such right and can ask for their medical records to be shown to another doctor.

Why Seek a Medical Second Opinion?

Surgery and other major medical procedures always have a certain degree of risk attached to them. A medical clearance before an operation will not totally eliminate the possibility of complications or even death. This is the very reason why patients need to seek a medical second opinion. It has to be clear that based on prevailing conditions, such procedure is the best if not the only option left to the patient. Patients who are unsure or not comfortable with an initial recommendation should clear the matter out with the doctor and then proceed to seek a second opinion. What could be worse than having a complication or dying for an unnecessary procedure?

My Say

There is a big difference between making careful medical decisions that involve one’s self or our loved ones and utter recklessness in not taking the necessary action when informed of a medical condition. It is normal to be scared and grab at the first medical solution offered. When circumstances allow it, gather all possible options and choose accordingly. Seek the advise of medical professionals of excellent repute and who does not hesitate to explain to you your real condition, whether good or bad.

In times of sickness, patients do not need scare tactics from doctors. Patients who unfortunately experienced this treatment from their doctors swear to the difficulty of psychological torture more than the physical affliction. Doctors are the best people to go to for our health issues. All the more reason they should understand the importance of leveling with patients. After all, patients will eventually be able to absorb all the information needed about their medical condition after the initial shock. From there, they would be able to arrive at the best decision with the help of caring medical professionals.