alt Hacker NewsPatients should always advocate for their own care.
This includes researching their own condition, looking into alternate diagnoses/treatments, discussing them with a physician, and potentially getting a second opinion.
Especially the second opinion. There are good and bad physicians everywhere.
But advocating also does not mean ignoring a physician's response. If they say it's unlikely to be X because of Y, consider what they're saying!
Physicians are working from a deep well of experience in treating the most frequent problems, and some will be more or less curious about alternate hypotheses.
When it comes down to it, House-style medical mysteries are mysteries because they're uncommon. For every "doc missed Lyme disease" story there are many more "it's just flu."
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This applies to all areas of life, not just medicine.
We trade away our knowledge and skills for convenience. We throw money at doctors so they'll solve the issue. We throw money at plumbers to turn a valve. We throw money at farmers to grow our veggies.
Then we wonder why we need help to do basic things.
> researching their own condition what a joke. so if I am sufferring with cancer, I should learn the lay of the land, treatments available ... wow. if I need to do everything, what am I paying for ?
> Patients should always advocate for their own care. This includes researching their own condition
I believe you do not fully appreciate how long and exhausting this is especially when sick...