Second opinions for medical advice is nothing new and an accepted part of modern day medical practice. Practically all doctors are happy to provide second opinions for patients who seek them. It goes without saying. My own surgical practice has a significant proportion of patients who come through such channels. I usually ask them how they came to see me and in the vast majority of circumstances it was due to a recommendation from a friend or acquaintance who had been treated by me for the same condition.
Procedural specialties have particularly taken to having an on line presence for marketing of their services. It makes a great deal of sense. The more patients you can attract so as to be able to perform procedures, the more income that is generated. Increasingly we are seeing offers of seeing patients for second opinions appearing on the websites of surgeons. Often there will be a form to complete where you type in your basic demographics and some basic information about one's condition which in turn invites the surgeon or designated staff member to make contact and subsequently encourage the patient to make an appointment.
What concerns me is that the second opinion marketing is mainly directed to newly diagnosed cancer sufferers. These patients are vulnerable and on the steep learning curve with the acquisition of knowledge about their condition whilst trying to cope with the unknowns that lie before them. The second opinion websites often boast the achievements of the cancer surgeon being promoted but with very little possibility of the reader being able to verify the statements.
We see statements such as
“I was the first…”
“I have done the most…..”
“I pioneered the introduction of ……..”
Not uncommonly these statements bear zero relationship to the consultative or clinical or technical skills of the surgeon.
Rather than allow these websites seed one's mind about that the current care being received is inadequate, readers should instead consider why is it that such great efforts are being made to promote the availability of a second opinion service. It is nothing more than a mechanism to goad patients into switching doctors when at their most vulnerable time. There should not be a need to promote that second opinion services are available as this goes without saying. If a surgeon had such a good reputation, why would they need to market for those second opinion cases. Do they have a deficiency of work that necessitates such action?
There is nothing wrong with seeking out information on suitable surgeons to see for a second opinion but perhaps one could do better than a cold call to a website. Consider other sources for recommendations. Start with the family doctor and additionally, staff who work at the hospital you would like to attend, if you know any. Look the overall digital footprint of the provider and in particular independent sources of information. When searching provider websites, be wary when there is over the top self promotion and whether you feel that a second opinion form is being thrust into your face. If it was from anything other than a medical provider website, you would probably consider it differently. Remember that marketing is marketing and I'm afraid to say that even doctors partake in provision of information under the guise of marketing.
As a junior specialist, I recall being advised by a senior colleague that my patients would be my best ‘advertisement’. All I had to do was to treat them with respect and compassion and to do what I would wish to have done for myself or my close relative. This was sound advice and I continue to uphold this principle. I am grateful that my practice is sufficiently busy to never feel a need to market for second opinions - but why should I need to market for them when it is after all, a normal part of medical service provision.
Note- this piece is written in the context of Australian medical practice
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