New study highlights why you should always get a second opinion

I’m going to let you in on a secret that most doctors don’t want you to know…

Medicine is not actually a well-defined science. Even if doctors and drug companies want you to believe that the answers they have are clear and logical and irrefutable, the truth is they’re often anything but.

Now, from their perspective, you can see why the myth of “evidence-based medicine” is useful. It makes it sound like the research behind mainstream “standards of care” and FDA-approved patented drugs isn’t up for debate. After all, who can argue against evidence?

But the truth is, in the field of medicine, absolutes are the exception, not the norm. There are many more uncertainties to the practice of medicine than the general public knows about. And more and more, doctors seem to be taking comfort in keeping their patients in the dark about that fact.

Doctors used to embrace the art and the science of the medical profession. And they used to be open to the fact that there is more than one way to skin the proverbial cat.

But things have gotten way more dogmatic since I went to medical school. So much so that most doctors are trained not to think anymore. They’re taught to follow a prescribed set of paradigms (those “standards of care” I mentioned above), rather than to think for themselves.

In fact, those of us who dare to think for ourselves are often outcasts. We’re the brunt of criticism, ridicule, and persecution from state medical boards. Just look at what happened to the doctor I told you about last month (the medical director of Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute), who spoke his mind about vaccines — and had his career ruined as a result.

With that in mind, it’s not too surprising that many doctors are up in arms about a new study that came out of the Mayo Clinic, highlighting discrepancies in medical diagnoses. After all, if your party line is that there’s only one right answer to any medical problem, it’s hard to explain a study that shows just the opposite.

According to this study, almost 90 percent of second opinions contradict first opinions. That means that nine out of 10 people who seek a second opinion walk out of the office with a different or refined diagnosis.

In only 12 percent of the 286 records studied did the second doctor confirm the first doctor’s findings. In 66 percent of the cases, the diagnosis was redefined or refined. In 21 percent of the cases, the second diagnosis was completely different than the first.

Naturally, none of this would be possible if medicine really were the cut-and-dried formula the mainstream and the drug industry want you to think it is. If it were, then Doctor A’s diagnosis would match Doctor B’s diagnosis every time. But as I’ve said, that’s just not how medicine works.

That’s why it is so important to be able to get second or even third opinions on any diagnosis or treatment plans you receive. Especially in complicated cases.

Your health is on the line. But the sad part is, most health insurance companies limit patients’ ability to visit multiple specialists. When are we going to demand that doctors take back control of healthcare and not let huge corporations (who only care about their share prices) call the shots?

Of course, the other problem is that patients tend to be overly trustful of their physicians. They don’t want to question them. I can’t tell you how many patients I see who were completely misdiagnosed, not because the other doctor was stupid, but simply because doctors don’t know everything about everything.

Plus, most doctors don’t like to admit they don’t know something. I, on the other hand, will be the first to admit if I don’t know something — and to refer the patient elsewhere.

So, do yourself a favor. Take control of your own healthcare. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you feel you need to in order to feel comfortable with your treatment. And if your doctor won’t answer you, then it’s time to find a new one.

 

Source:

http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-researchers-demonstrate-value-of-second-opinions/


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