It is very common for patients to go from one hospital to another and from one doctor to another to seek guidance regarding illness. As it happens in any field, medicine, law or management, opinions are bound to vary. This leads to more confusion and sometimes panic, leading to even more consultations and even more confusion!! Of course when ones health and life are concerned, this confusion leads to untold misery.
The basic reason for taking several opinions is the lack of trust in the system. Is the doctor recommending an unnecessary test? an unnecessary operation? Is he trying to make money for himself? is he trying to 'feed' the hospital for its laboratory to make more money? While this train of thoughts is understandable, it is at the same time, causing harm to the patient.
The confusion of differing opinions is bad in itself. In addition it encourages several unhealthy practices. It gives an opportunity for the person giving a second opinion
The basic reason for taking several opinions is the lack of trust in the system. Is the doctor recommending an unnecessary test? an unnecessary operation? Is he trying to make money for himself? is he trying to 'feed' the hospital for its laboratory to make more money? While this train of thoughts is understandable, it is at the same time, causing harm to the patient.
The confusion of differing opinions is bad in itself. In addition it encourages several unhealthy practices. It gives an opportunity for the person giving a second opinion
- to create a doubt in the mind of the patient about the first opinion
- to ask for more tests and add costs
One may say that professionals should not do this. But after all, they are a part of society they come from and their behaviour reflects the behaviour of our society.
Instead, one could consider the following:
- Find a family practitioner. Go to him for all your health issues. It is not a good idea to go to a specialist directly unless it is an emergency.
- Go to a specialist directly only in an emergency - e.g., severe headache, chest pain, abdominal pain, collapse, loss of consciousness etc.
- The specialist must be identified when you are healthy and fine; you should not look for a specialist at the time of an emergency!
- How do you find a specialist? Your family doctor may suggest one; your family and friends might have been looked after well - ethically, conscientiously with reasonable charges - by a specialist. Have such a person in mind and keep his contact details.
- For any specialist help call him - if the problem does not pertain to his specialty, he will suggest a like minded specialist in the specialty you need.
- Let him choose the institution; such specialists know where patients get a fair deal and choose the hospital that he/she suggests.
- Another important attribute of an ethical specialist is to seek a second opinion himself, with the consent of the patient, when the progress of treatment is not on expected lines.
