Why You Should Get a Second Opinion for Medical Diagnoses

Patients should expect their medical care providers to follow the standard of care and expect similar levels of care from doctors of the same specialty.  Thus, it can be difficult to understand when a misdiagnosis or a failure to diagnose a serious medical condition occurs.  This is particularly difficult to understand when the misdiagnosis causes harm.

At Younker Hyde Macfarlane, our Utah medical malpractice attorneys can help those who have been injured from a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose recover financial compensation for their injuries.

If you are not getting answers or have been given a serious diagnosis with recommendations for surgery, a second opinion can provide clarity and may reveal that you have a medical malpractice case. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at why you should get a second opinion for medical diagnoses in Salt Lake City and throughout Utah.

What Is a Second Opinion?

A second opinion is a term that essentially means getting another doctor to review a patient’s medical information and provide an additional interpretation of their diagnosis or treatment plan.

Second opinions are important when a medical condition is complex, unclear, or there isn’t a perfect answer. Even when a diagnosis is received from a trusted doctor, a second opinion can help a patient be better informed when making decisions about their health and medical treatment.

There are many benefits to getting a second opinion. The following are just a few key reasons to consider getting a second opinion.

Increased Confidence In Diagnosis and Treatment

Receiving a diagnosis doesn’t always bring clarity and instead can leave some patients with many unanswered questions and uncertainty about their treatment plan.

Getting a second opinion can help patients feel more confident with their diagnosis and treatment plan.

Access to Clinical Trials or Other Treatments

Getting a second opinion sometimes opens up additional treatment options or even emerging treatments from ongoing clinical trials.

A second opinion can give patients access to better treatment options, which can be life saving or prevent their medical condition from becoming worse and causing greater harm.

Catching a Failure to Diagnose or Misdiagnosis

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to get a second opinion is to confirm a diagnosis and make sure nothing was missed or misdiagnosed.

A second opinion can help ensure patients get the necessary treatment for their medical issues. For some, this can prevent injury or may be life saving.

Building a Strong Medical Malpractice Case

Sometimes a second opinion will reveal medical malpractice occurred. In order to be considered medical malpractice, a doctor must have deviated from the standards of medical care, resulting in injury to the patient.

A second opinion can show that a diagnosis was completely missed or was wrongly diagnosed when a reasonable doctor would have correctly identified it.

When it is believed medical malpractice may have occurred, it’s important to consult an attorney. A medical malpractice attorney can review the details of your case and gather evidence to support a malpractice claim if injuries and damages were sustained due to a medical error.

Schedule a Consultation

If you believe you’ve suffered damages as a result of medical malpractice, you are encouraged to contact our practice to schedule a consultation with the Utah attorneys of Younker Hyde Macfarlane.