I think that doctors should
- Be confident in any assessment or recommendation they give you.
- Want you to have the same confidence and to have as much information as possible.
- Seek any information they can get about your health condition, diagnosis, and treatment choices, whether it confirms their own recommendations or differs from it.
- Welcome peer review.
- Collaborate with your other medical providers.
For all of these reasons, doctors should support patients who seek second opinions, and in fact should encourage them.
Second opinions may not be necessary for routine and minor issues, but if you've got a serious health concern and are facing chemo, radiation, a transplant, surgery, or something else with major risks and consequences, it's in your best interest to get a second opinion and to be up-front about it with your doctor.
If your doctor recommends against your getting a second opinion, acts insulted that you would seek another opinion, or doesn't review information you provide from other doctors, I think you should get a new doctor. They aren't serving your best interests.
I was reminded of this issue yesterday, when I heard a radio ad for the USC Keck Medical Center here in Los Angeles. It was a testimonial ad, with a patient saying that the Keck doctors are so good that he didn't even want a second opinion. I think that's an unfortunate and misguided ad. We should all know better, and watch out for ourselves by getting second opinions whenever necessary.