Personal injuries, like those individuals suffer during falls or in motor vehicle accidents, are disturbingly common in the U.S. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, there were more than 55 million of them in 2020 alone. Sadly, these injuries also contributed to roughly 201,000 preventable deaths that year.
If you sustain an injury, you expect your doctor to listen to your concerns, consider your symptoms and make a correct diagnosis. Unfortunately, though, doctors miss diagnoses all too frequently. If you do not trust your doctor’s diagnosis or treatment plan, you may wonder how you can get a second opinion.
Do not feel awkward
You should not worry about offending your doctor by requesting a second opinion, as second opinions happen all the time in medicine. To begin your request, tell your doctor your concerns. Then, update him or her with the information you uncover.
Request a recommendation
Your go-to doctor may be able to recommend a physician you can see for a second opinion. If the doctor your physician recommends has relevant experience, it probably does not hurt to schedule an appointment with him or her. Otherwise, you can ask relatives, friends or colleagues for their recommendations.
Prepare for your visit
You want the subsequent doctor to have as much information about your medical history as possible. Therefore, you should ask your doctor to forward your file to the referral physician’s office. You also should write down any questions and concerns you have to be sure you do not forget to bring them up with the doctor.
You are in charge of your own health, of course. Ultimately, whether your second opinion matches the first or differs from it, having more information is likely to help you better plan your treatment and recovery.
