Could this statistic be correct?
Second Opinion From Doctor Nets Different Diagnosis 88% Of Time, Study Finds.
ROCHESTER, Minn. — When it comes to treating a serious illness, two brains are better than one. A new study finds that nearly 9 in 10 people who go for a second opinion after seeing a doctor are likely to leave with a refined or new diagnosis from what they were first told.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic examined 286 patient records of individuals who had decided to consult a second opinion, hoping to determine whether being referred to a second specialist impacted one’s likelihood of receiving an accurate diagnosis.
The study, conducted using records of patients referred to the Mayo Clinic’s General Internal Medicine Division over a two-year period, ultimately found that when consulting a second opinion, the physician only confirmed the original diagnosis 12 percent of the time.
Neurotic morons just seeking specialists?
I once had a street doctor in Tijuana ask me what my ailments were, he’d prescribe me anything I needed.
We have insurance whores. What’s the dif?
That’s why the call it a medical “practice”. If they practice enough, maybe they’ll eventually get it right.
So it wasn’t just a cold sore….
The doctor told me I need surgery for an enlarged prostate.
I asked him if I could get a second opinion, so he examined me again with two fingers.
Don’t get me started. Doctors are worse than mechanics, most of them might be able to “fix you” but can’t troubleshoot worth a damn. When I was 38, I went into what turned out to be a thyroid storm…I was in bad shape with a plethora of symptoms, lost 70lbs over the 3 months it took to finally get diagnosed. It was a NURSE finally, that suggested it to the 4th doctor that had just blown me off. Just after, I read up on Graves disease, and turns out I was text book and 4 highly paid f**king “doctors” couldn’t “find” a problem.
Second opinion saved my wife’s life.
First “doctor” came from a medical stable in Baltimore (a Nigerian) who didn’t seem to like women. Second doctor actually listened to my wife and brought in an internist who actually did some chemical tests and developed an entirely different diagnosis (which proved to be right) and subsequently performed surgery (that very night) which saved her life.
Emergency Rooms are not really for emergency illnesses – more for trauma care.
izlamo delenda est …
Many doctors just provide a flippant standard answer to any symptom. I suffered with a long list of ailments for a decade and kind of half diagnosed myself as suffering from excess Uric Acid, which typically results in Gout. Finally, I had a classic gout attack, and then the “experts” were ready to call it…. well, only for my symptoms that day. Now I’m taking a Uric acid reducer, and after 18 months, many of my problems are much better.
Second opinions only work properly if you don’t tell the subsequent doctor about the first doctor’s diagnosis.
I’m sure I don’t have to explain why.
P.S. – If you’re lucky enough to get diagnosed in a large hospital (and the disease is serious enough) they will usually have a group of related-specialty physicians (e.g., oncologists) who will meet on a regular basis to discuss the current crop of patients and hopefully come to a consensus about the diagnosis and an effective course of treatment. Multiple heads are better than one.
At my last check up, my doctor said I was sanguine. He drained off a couple pints of my blood and said I was good to go.
Made the mistake of going to ER telling them of heart attack. Should have simply rattled off symptoms. Spent the next day being poked, prodded, run through huge loud machine, they could find nothing wrong. A year later an engineer casually said it sounded more like a stroke. Bingo.
I’m with Bongopoofter. Very often the nurse will give a better diagnosis. The best doctors are the ones who are great diagnosticians.
Well, not in my case with diabetes. However, there have been arguments over treatments. I went through 4 doctors before I found one who figured out what to do and then some. (shawna weisler, Burbank CA. Yeah, I’m name dropping. lol) She’s pretty much a hero to me. lol
Artificial intelligence could prove invaluable in medical diagnosis.
Well done AI should greatly reduce diagnosis problems.
after 7 years of pain i wouldnt wish on anyone except obomba, i was recently referred to a wonderful PT in hopes that he would help. He took one look and started on my hip saying that is the cause of all my difficulties. I can hardly believe how much he knew and how much is helping. Stunning really. I am hoping to get off pain meds by the end of summer.
But by the grace of God–. 🙂
Only 1 of the last 5 doctors got it right on my first visit.
The last one I had to self-diagnose was being exposed to black mold after I was sent home with meds that made it worse.
They just said: acute sinitis , but no bacterial ot viral causation.
Don’t think I hate docs, Dad was one. But they are human.
#1 diagnostic tool in the exam room is a combination of asking about symptons and what the patient thinks it is.
It’s amazing how often the patient does get it right.
All I did was enter my symptoms and the word mold. Everything came up a match.
Bought a UV light and glasses and everyting lit up in plain view.
Side note: if you want to mess with a vlean freak – give them a UV flashlight and UV glasses as present.
It can be stunning what is invisible to the unaided eye.
Clean freak*
Never going to another doctor EVER. I’ve had enough experience being humiliated by arrogant a-holes who don’t believe what you’re telling them and then snicker.
After a five minute interview the answer to everything is anti-biotics.
Yes I’m the guy in the cartoon that does his own diagnosis on the internet. I’ve avoided a lot of misery and am doing just fine.
P.S. to you younger guys, do some research now on taking care of your prostate. It could pay off big down the road.