Seeking a Second Opinion: When Your Provider's Recommendation Warrants Verification
If you have doubts about your provider's recommendation, seeking a second opinion is a legitimate and often beneficial decision that can optimize your treatment, prevent unnecessary procedures, and improve outcomes—even when your provider follows established guidelines. 1, 2
Why Second Opinions Remain Valuable
Clinical Uncertainty and Diagnostic Accuracy
- Second opinions lead to changes in diagnosis in approximately 15% of cases and changes in treatment recommendations in 37% of cases, with moderate to major clinical impact in 21% of diagnostic cases and 31% of treatment cases. 3
- Even when practice guidelines exist, they may not eliminate the need for a second opinion because guidelines cannot address every individual patient's unique circumstances, and you may need to verify which guidelines your physician is following and whether they are appropriate for your specific case. 4
Common Reasons Patients Seek Second Opinions
- Doubts about the diagnosis or treatment plan (38% of cases), desire for a subspecialty expert opinion (19%), and dissatisfaction with patient-physician communication (19%) are the most frequent motivations. 2
- Clinical uncertainty or communication issues with your provider are valid reasons to seek additional input, as these factors directly impact treatment quality and patient satisfaction. 2
How to Approach Getting a Second Opinion
Selecting the Right Specialist
- Most patients (33%) choose a second opinion physician based on recommendations from friends or relatives, though this may not always lead to the most appropriate specialist for your specific medical problem. 2
- Consider asking your insurance company, primary care physician, or medical center for formal referrals to subspecialty experts rather than relying solely on informal recommendations, as this can help ensure you see a physician with appropriate expertise for your specific condition. 2
What to Expect from the Process
- Approximately 84% of patients report satisfaction with their second opinion experience, 77% feel health improvement after receiving it, and 91% prefer the second opinion over the first one. 2
- The second opinion process typically involves comprehensive review of your complete medical records by trained physicians who identify unresolved clinical questions and forward cases to expert specialists for independent assessment. 3
Important Considerations
Physician Decision-Making Variability
- Research demonstrates that physicians recommend different treatments for patients than they would choose for themselves—when making recommendations to patients, physicians are more likely to choose treatments with lower death rates but potentially more adverse effects, whereas they personally would accept higher mortality risk to avoid those adverse effects. 5
- This finding suggests that physician recommendations may be influenced by the act of making a recommendation itself, which supports the value of obtaining multiple perspectives on treatment options. 5
Practical Limitations
- While second opinions can optimize treatment and reduce unnecessary risks, injudicious use can provoke unnecessary medical costs, so focus your second opinion request on situations involving significant clinical uncertainty, major treatment decisions, or communication concerns. 1
- After receiving a second opinion, you will need to reconcile any discrepant opinions between providers, which may require additional discussion with both physicians to understand the reasoning behind different recommendations. 2
Following Through
- Only 61% of patients who receive second opinions plan to follow the recommendations, indicating that the second opinion serves primarily as a decision-support tool rather than a definitive directive. 3
- You should discuss the second opinion findings with your original provider to understand their perspective on any differences and make a shared decision about the best path forward based on your values and preferences. 3