A second opinion is about seeking a medical opinion all over again.
At times we struggle to understand as to why we are not getting cured even after following the doctor’s advice diligently and also eating all the medicines prescribed by the doctor on time and in right quantity. Second Opinion: What, Why and How? Have we ever thought if this is the right approach that doctor has suggested or could there be a different solution to the problem diagnosed by the doctor or may be the diagnosis in the very first place was not right.
At the end of the day everyone should realize that we are dealing with Human beings and there could always be some amount of knowledge gap or some amount of error that might creep in one’s judgment hence we talk about something like a second opinion. Which if taken from an uninfluenced and unbiased professional can always aid in solving ones problem or help in curing a disease earlier found to be cryptogenic.
- All these could be the scenarios where in one should seek second opinion not only to satisfy oneself mentally regarding the ongoing treatment but also to check if everything is alright.
- Many a times I have been asked a question by journalists what if the second opinion itself confuses people about their ongoing treatment. Answer to the same is that only people who are confused and for whom the current treatment is not working should seek a second opinion.
If your current treatment is going on properly and you see signs of improvement in your health then taking second opinion might not be of any use at all. Moreover at the end of the day decision is always of the patient whether he / she would like continue with the current treatment or would like to go by what the other doctor has suggested and change tracks.
Now that we have discussed what is second opinion and why should one seek second opinion, question that arises is how can one take second opinion.
- Ideally second opinion shouldn’t be taken from the same hospital or from a doctor who knows the treating doctor. This is to ensure that one gets unbiased opinion about the current treatment.
- Although all doctors are in a profession wherein they have to be very objective but past experiences and dealings with another colleague might influence the decision of second doctor.
- There are many ways to go about taking second opinion. Option of visiting another hospital or a doctor is always available but at times we become lazy for our health and don’t want to go with the pain of approaching another doctor for diagnosis or we are really hard-pressed for time.
- Nowadays options are available wherein you can seek second opinion over the web and talk to a team of doctors who can help satisfy your queries regarding various problems.
Although doctor sitting across the phone wouldn’t be able to see the patient but can always be sent all the reports that one has and also tell all the symptoms and problems one is undergoing and changes that he /she has seen over the period of treatment. This would help the doctor understand a lot about the case.Second Opinion: What, Why and How?
