Our blog

When health symptoms occur, people usually visit their doctors expecting a prompt and accurate diagnosis of the problem. This doesn’t always happen, however. Even when health professionals run many tests that take several days or weeks, the diagnosis may not always be correct. Most people don’t think to ask for a second opinion, but that could be a mistake. A missed diagnosis means that a hidden disease could be present for much longer than if the diagnosis had been correct. This article will discuss why requesting a second opinion might be a wise course of action.

Why is a second opinion important?

A recent study conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers and published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice looked at the outcomes of patients who requested second opinions regarding their diagnoses. The study examined records from 286 patients who received services through Mayo Clinic’s General Internal Medicine Division in Rochester, Minnesota during 2009 and 2010. Patients were identified through a previous study as having sought second opinions. The results of the study showed that out of the 286 patients, 21 percent had their diagnoses completely changed and 66 percent had their diagnoses revised or redefined. Only 12 percent of the group had their original diagnoses confirmed. The startling results of this study show that potentially 1 out of 5 people who visit a physician are misdiagnosed. It is also important to point out that this statistic does not include patients who visited health care professionals and were not diagnosed in the first place, even though they had health conditions that were causing symptoms. This fact means that many more people have been misdiagnosed than 1 out of 5.

What stops people from seeking second opinions?

What is the reason for this disturbing statistic? One possible reason is that many people in the United States receive health insurance through providers who limit out of network referrals. This increases the cost to the patient for a second opinion and makes obtaining a referral for a second opinion harder to get. Another reason might be that primary care physicians may have confidence in their initial diagnoses when those diagnoses are actually inaccurate. Primary care physicians may not give patients referrals for second opinions if they feel their diagnoses are correct. Patients may also have trouble obtaining copies of their medical records and tests if the primary care physician is not on board with the referral for a second opinion. This problem with records sharing between clinics means that patients who request second opinions may have to have tests repeated, leading to extra costs.

In addition, patients may lack the knowledge or the courage to request second opinions. Many people who visit health care professionals naturally assume that those professionals know what they are doing and will accurately diagnose conditions. They do not consider that factors such as pressure to be productive and limit testing to cut costs may lead to errors in diagnosis. If a patient does successfully request a second opinion, the next issue is choosing a physician who has the skills to correctly diagnose the problem. If a qualified physician is not selected, the health problem may be inaccurately diagnosed again, leading to the necessity of a third opinion. Patients who seek second opinions must decide which physician has made the correct diagnoses and this can be difficult without enough knowledge on the patient’s part.

What action should people take?

If a person must visit a doctor for medical testing to determine a diagnosis, one of the best tools to have is the knowledge that the initial diagnosis is often not correct. With this knowledge, the person can be prepared to request a second opinion if he or she feels it is needed. Another great tool is a running record of health data that the person has collected by monitoring health at home. By keeping a journal of symptoms, recording vital statistics such as blood pressure and heart rate daily, and tracking data through a personal health tracking system, that person can go to the initial appointment with information that can be of great assistance to the doctor when determining the diagnosis. This type of health history could help the doctor to rule out some diagnoses and determine what additional tests are necessary to narrow down the remaining possibilities, resulting in a faster and possibly more accurate diagnosis.

HomeLab by Quantihealth can help.

Any information collected by a person prior to an appointment is valuable, but accurate health tracking through an in-home health monitoring system can provide a running record of health over time that will greatly assist the doctor with diagnosis. HomeLab by Quantihealth Corp. is just such a system. HomeLab provides the equipment and online health measurement apps that allow a person to track vital statistics and record symptoms, all in one place. When it is time to go to the doctor, HomeLab’s apps allow a person to print off the health record in an understandable written report that can be presented to the doctor. The HomeLab system can save a person time and money when a health problem arises by gathering information needed for diagnosis ahead of time.

Considering the value of such information, it makes sense for everyone to have a home health tracking system like HomeLab. For more information on HomeLab by Quantihealth, visit www.thequantihealth.com.