Forum: Advantages of seeking a second opinion
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
The question of whether it is worth asking for a second medical opinion is best answered with a qualified “yes”, both from the doctor’s and patient’s point of view. (Is it worth asking another doctor for a second opinion?, May 25).
Medical competence aside, the field of medicine is advancing so quickly on so many fronts, that no one single doctor is expected to possess the knowledge of the whole arsenal of weapons needed to treat illnesses. So doctors will understand that patients want a second opinion.
For patients, a second or third opinion opens up a diversity of treatment options, each being different in application, efficacy and potential side-effects, even if the treatment is not superior to the one before.
It is disappointingly common for doctors to disparage the earlier treatment options offered by their colleagues and this practice should not be condoned as it confuses patients, often leading to confrontations or even threats of suits against the doctors who treated the patient earlier.
Disagreements and substantial differences in treatment protocol are best discussed with, and not behind the backs of, fellow practitioners.
Yik Keng Yeong (Dr)
