Top Reasons to Get a Second Opinion for Your Loved Ones in India
A second opinion involves consulting another healthcare professional to evaluate or confirm your treatment plan/diagnosis. Patients get a second opinion to confirm a diagnosis or treatment plan or to find out more about symptoms that won’t go away. When someone is critically ill, getting a second opinion is important. It may lead to changes in the patient’s diagnosis, treatment plans, or both. This process makes sure that the patient gets the best care possible. Research studies have shown that expert medical opinion results in changes in diagnosis in 15% of cases and changes in treatment plans in 37% of cases. For various technical reasons, the diagnosis of some illnesses may occasionally be incorrect. The best action in these situations may be to get a second opinion. In India, getting a second medical opinion is an important part of a patient’s healthcare journey. It gives patients and their families the information they need to make smarter choices.
1. Misdiagnosis:
Diagnostic errors serve as a significant problem in the healthcare industry, causing patient harm, raising costs, and can even result in legal problems. These errors include wrong diagnoses, late diagnoses, and failing to spot conditions, all of which can harm how well patients do.
A study conducted in Ethiopia revealed a high misdiagnosis rate of 40% among patients with severe psychiatric disorders. The rate of misdiagnosis for schizoaffective disorder was 75%. It was followed by depression disorder (54.72%), schizophrenia (23.71%), and bipolar disorder (17.78%).
Importance of a second opinion in correcting the initial diagnosis:
Obtaining a second opinion consultation can confirm the initial findings, providing comfort, or alter it, potentially resulting in improved treatment strategies. A second opinion gives people the power to make well-informed choices about their health care and makes sure they get the best and most accurate medical advice.
According to the study at Mayo Clinic, 21% of patients got an entirely new diagnosis, and 66% had their first diagnosis changed or improved after getting a second medical opinion. These results reveal that second opinions can have a significant effect on how patients are cared for.
2. Exploring alternate treatment options:
It’s common for different doctors to offer different ways to treat the same illness based on their training, experience, and medical philosophy. These differences can have a big effect on the treatment choices a patient is given.
Less invasive treatment options:
Minimally invasive cardiac procedures:
Catheter based interventions offer a less invasive treatment option than open surgery for several health conditions that may be safer and associated with lower morbidity and recovery time especially for patients at high surgical risk.
Role of personalised treatment plans:
Getting a second medical opinion can be very helpful in making personalized treatment plans that make sure that a person’s medical care is very well matched to their specific health profile.
Improved diagnostic accuracy:
A second opinion can support or improve the first diagnosis, which can lead to a more effective treatment plan. For example, when it comes to cancer care, visiting specialists at specialized cancer centers can give you access to the latest diagnostic tools and their knowledge, which could help you find details that affect your treatment choices.
- Patients can make better choices about their health care when they get a second opinion. It gives people peace of mind that the treatment plan being suggested is the right one and takes all of their choices into account.
- Based on their resources and skills, different medical institutions may offer different types of treatment. Patients who get a second opinion may find better, less invasive, or more effective treatments that they were not aware of.
- Getting a second medical opinion can help personalized medicine work better by allowing for more advanced genomic tests and targeted therapies. This can lead to more effective and personalised treatment plans.
3. High-Stakes Medical Conditions:
It is important to get a second opinion diagnosis when you have a serious illness like cancer, heart disease, or a neurological problem. To get the best results from these complicated and life-threatening illnesses, doctors need to make accurate assessments and create individualised treatment plans.
Delayed diagnosis can have a profound effect on patient outcomes, causing disease progression.
Kayleigh Colegate, a Welsh mother of two children who is 35 years old, had cold, sweaty hands and trouble breathing. Even though she had signs of a pulmonary embolism, doctors gave her the wrong diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia, which meant she got the wrong medication. She later died from the untreated embolism.
Due to differences in healthcare systems, cultures, and resources, specialists worldwide offer different medical opinions.
- Practitioners in some areas use functional medicine, a holistic approach that focuses on treating the causes of illnesses instead of just the symptoms. This method takes factors like lifestyle, food, and environment into account, giving each person personalised care that often includes natural remedies.
- Virtual hospitals were made possible by advances in technology that let experts treat patients from afar, no matter where they are in the world.
- When doctors learn and work in different countries, they often see and experience different healthcare systems and ways of interacting with patients, which broadens their views. For example, a medical student who worked in the US, UK, Japan, and Australia saw differences in how patients behaved and how they were treated. This shows how cultural and structural factors affect medical practices.
4. Reducing unnecessary surgeries/procedures:
Unnecessary medical treatments, like surgeries, are a significant problem in healthcare because they put people at risk from the procedure itself and also increase cost. Getting expert second opinions can help patients avoid unnecessary surgical interventions.
When less invasive choices are available, getting a second opinion from a doctor can help patients avoid high-risk procedures. For instance, new research shows that some women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a type of breast cancer that doesn’t spread, might not need surgery right away. It has been shown that active monitoring through regular mammograms is a good option that lets patients avoid the risks that come with surgery. Avoiding unnecessary medical intervention offers both physical and financial benefits.
Financial benefits:
Lowering healthcare costs:
Treatments that aren’t needed, like some surgeries or imaging tests, add to rising healthcare costs. Patients and healthcare systems can both save a lot of money by getting rid of these treatments.
Lower Insurance Premiums:
When healthcare systems cut down on the number of unnecessary procedures, the general cost of care goes down. This could mean that consumers’ insurance premiums could go down.
Less money out of pocket:
Patients usually pay some of their medical bills out of their own pockets through co-pays or premiums. Avoiding treatments that aren’t needed lowers these out-of-pocket costs, freeing up money for other needs.
Physical benefits:
Minimized Risk of Complications:
All medical procedures have risks, such as infections, delayed healing, or problems during the procedure itself. Patients can lower their risk by not avoiding treatments that aren’t necessary.
Better quality of life:
Avoiding unnecessary treatments or surgical procedures can help one live a better life by maintaining your mobility and daily functions.
Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment:
Getting expert medical second opinions can lower the risk of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments.
5. Confirmation before expensive treatments:
Before considering major medical treatments or procedures like chemotherapy, organ transplants, or robotic surgeries, it is important to make sure that the solution is the right one and will work.
Chemotherapy:
A popular way to treat cancer, chemotherapy can have serious side effects and cost a lot of money. When considering the type of cancer, its stage, and the patient’s health, chemotherapy should only be used if necessary and safe.
Organ transplants:
Transplants save lives, but donor-recipient compatibility, rejection, and lifelong immunosuppression can get complicated. Comprehensive pre-transplant assessments help evaluate the patient’s health, transplant urgency, and chance of success.
Robotic surgeries:
Robotic procedures improve precision and recovery time. However, they are expensive and require specialised training.
Getting a second medical opinion before investing in expensive medical procedures might provide you with peace of mind by verifying the diagnosis and treatment plan. It can result in:
- Improved confidence in decision-making
- Exploring other treatment strategies
- Avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures
Over time, second opinions can save individuals and healthcare systems money by eliminating unnecessary treatments and promoting better care. Medical specialities vary in second opinion cost-effectiveness. Studies have shown that second opinions have saved over $28,000 per patient in musculoskeletal cases and over $8,000 per case in cardiovascular patients.
6. Expertise from Internationally Trained Specialists:
Consulting professionals from top US medical institutions can improve patient treatment and outcomes.
a. Advanced Medical Skills
Reputed specialists have access to the latest research, technologies, and treatments. This exposure helps them provide optimal care and improve patient outcomes.
b. Complete Multidisciplinary Care
A multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach led by an experienced consultant makes sure that patients get high-quality medical care and quick access to specialised hospital services.
c. Best Practices Implementation
US trained specialists are well versed in cutting edge medical technologies and evidence-based medicine. They can improve patient outcomes with their clinical experience.
International professionals’ perspectives help improve healthcare delivery and ensure patients receive the greatest care based on global best practices.
By combining innovative methods from around the world, these experts can make treatment outcomes much better for patients.
My American Doctor is a telemedicine platform that connects patients from all over the world with doctors trained in the U.S. who specialise in different types of medicine and surgery. Patients can get expert medical opinion from the comfort of their own homes through the service’s easy-to-use online sessions. The platform has specialists who are experts in more than 20 medical areas, such as cardiology, neurology, oncology, endocrinology, and more. Patients have a choice between chart reviews and tele-visits, and they are sure to hear back within 72 hours.
7. Complex or rare medical cases:
It is common for people with rare diseases and complicated medical conditions to need specialised knowledge because they are difficult to diagnose and treat.
Specialists possess extensive knowledge about the latest treatments for rare diseases and recently developed treatments. Taking care of complicated conditions often requires a team effort from several healthcare experts. Specialists are often involved in current clinical trials and research, which gives patients access to new therapies that may not be widely available. This process is especially important for rare diseases, which may not have many standard treatment choices. Healthcare professionals need to have specialized knowledge to diagnose and treat rare diseases and complex conditions successfully. This leads to better patient outcomes and progress in medical science.
Getting a second medical opinion can give your peace of mind by easing your worries and giving you confidence. Knowing that another expert agrees with the diagnosis and treatment plan can help patients feel less stressed and more confident in the choices they are making about their health care.
At first, Jessica Warrington, 31, was told that her back pain was caused by going through an early menopause. She wasn’t happy with the results, so she went for more tests, and in September 2024, she was told that she had thyroid cancer. After a few months, her mother, Sarah Voy, 53, had trouble breathing and neck pain, which were first thought to be caused by asthma. She was told by a second doctor that she also had thyroid cancer. Both had surgeries that went well. Their experiences show how important second opinions are for finding real problems that might be missed the first time.
8. Lack of access to advanced medical technologies:
India’s hospitals have different levels of access to the latest medical tools. The differences are especially clear between hospitals in cities and those in rural areas. Many rural hospitals in India don’t have enough infrastructure or medical tools, which makes it harder for them to offer complete care.
For patients interested in second opinions, telemedicine is a cost-effective option because you don’t have to make physical appointments or drive to them. This method not only saves time but also lowers the cost of health care, which makes it easier for people to get specialised consultations.
To sum up, telemedicine and digital health platforms have made it easier for anyone to get specialized medical advice, which has led to faster and better care for patients.
9. Overcoming doctor bias and ensuring objectivity:
Doctors can be biased in their treatment recommendations related to a variety of reasons including their schooling, personal experiences, societal views etc.
a. The Effects of Funding for Medical Education and Industry
The funding could bring biases into the curriculum, which could cause doctors to favour certain treatments or medications. For instance, well-known medical journals, which are an important part of learning how to be a doctor, may print studies that favour expensive drugs made by their sponsors, which could change how doctors prescribe drugs.
b. Bias based on gender in clinical evaluations
Biases based on gender can affect how patients are evaluated and treated. Studies have shown that female surgical residents often get lower ratings than their male peers, even though they do the same amount of work. These biases can affect how far you get in your job and how well you care for patients.
c. Threat and Performance Based on Stereotypes
Both healthcare workers and patients can be hurt by stereotype threat, which is the fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one’s group. For example, social norms that make women surgeons feel less competent may cause them to be more stressed and perform worse. This can get in the way of their career growth and the care they give.
Patients can overcome some of the physician biases by getting a second opinion. For example, a study showed that differences in doctors’ views had a significant effect on how patients did in up to 58% of cases, possibly keeping them from undergoing needless medical care.
10. Peace of mind for families:
When someone gets a serious medical diagnosis, they often feel unsure and stressed. Getting a second opinion can either prove the first diagnosis or give you alternate onces. A second opinion can also help you feel less anxious.
Dan Walden’s journey shows how important it is to get a second opinion, especially for rare and complicated diseases like amyloidosis. His first symptoms were mild, and even after several tests, no one could figure out what was wrong until he turned to virtual second opinion service. Their expert analysis gave him the clear diagnosis he needed, so he could start treatment right away, which eventually made his situation stable. The story of Dan shows how important it is to have medical knowledge, get help early, and keep fighting for your health.
Conclusion:
Seeking a second opinion is a valuable step in ensuring sound medical decision-making. It helps prove a diagnosis, which lowers the chance of getting the wrong one, and it gives information about other treatments that might work better or be less invasive. Talking to another expert clears up any questions and makes sure that patients fully understand their situation and their choices. This is especially important for rare or life threatening illnesses, where having more experts on hand can make things better. Getting a second medical opinion can also give you peace of mind and help you trust the treatment you choose. Patients can be more involved in their care and make sure they get the safest and most effective treatment for their needs by looking at things from different points of view.
Trusted platforms like My American Doctor let you talk to top specialists and get their advice without the need to travel. These services give people more faith in their treatment options, which makes sure they get the safest and most effective care. Utilizing second opinions from specialists allows patients to make smarter decisions regarding their healthcare.
At My American Doctor, we put international patients in touch with the top U.S. doctors so that they can get skilled medical advice. You or your loved one can get the best possible care through our platform, which gives you safe and easy access to top medical professionals. Don’t leave your loved one’s health to uncertainty—seek a second opinion today!
References:
- Misra S, Tiwari V. Second opinion in medical practice: Current perspectives. J Family Med Prim Care. 2019;8(1):9-14. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6335699/
- Villalonga-Vivoni C. How Yale doctors used a balloon in surgery to treat heart issue. CT Insider. 2025 Mar 11. Available from: https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/article/yale-batman-heart-disease-transcatheter-procedure-20201518.php
- Unknown author. Beautiful mum had cold, clammy hands and shortness of breath before sudden death. The Sun. 2024 Mar. Available from: https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/31780803/beautiful-mum-cold-clammy-hands-shortness-breath/
- Tanner L. Some breast cancer patients could safely skip surgery, study suggests. AP News. 2024 Mar. Available from: https://apnews.com/article/breast-cancer-treatment-surgery-dcis-lymph-nodes-983e2835a4ecd1f90f53105a5bab4bb9