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Second opinions can improve psychiatric care and offer valuable new perspectives.

Strong doctor-patient bonds can make seeking another opinion emotionally difficult.

Transparency and open communication can ease the stress of seeking another evaluation.

Patients should never feel ashamed for seeking additional medical guidance.

By Jacob M. Appel, MD, JD

Second opinions in Medicine are nearly as old as illness itself. In Proverbs 11:14, the Bible exhorts that “in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Wealthy patients in ancient Rome frequently called upon several successive physicians to offer medical advice.

By the mid-20th century, seeking more than one opinion about a serious condition had become common. Some insurers and large employers even started mandating multiple evaluations prior to expensive operations. Yet many patients struggle with whether and how to seek such additional guidance.

For instance, patients may fear they are betraying their first doctor, especially if they are involved in a longstanding care relationship. They may also be concerned that the electronic medical record will reveal the decision to obtain a second opinion to their original provider. As a result, making such a choice can become emotionally trying, especially if one fears subsequent rejection by one’s original provider.

Once a patient decides to seek reassessment, the logistics also raise difficult issues. Is the patient ethically obligated to share that choice with the initial physician? And how should the patient go about securing a second expert? Is it prudent—or tactless—to ask one’s doctor to recommend a trustworthy competitor?

These challenges are compounded for psychiatric patients. Such........

© Psychology Today