Diagnosing Disease: The Process of Detecting and Identifying Illness - Second Opinions

Although many insurance plans will pay for second opinions, a 2004–05 Gallup Poll found that nearly half of Americans said they would never seek a second opinion when their physician "diagnoses a condition, prescribes a treatment, drug, or operation." Forty-one percent said they sometimes sought second opinions, and a scant 3% said they would always seek one. (See Figure 3.2.)

Women were more likely than men to assume responsibility for where their family members obtain medical care, and Gallup data as well as other research confirms that women visit physicians more often than do men. Rick Blizzard, Gallup's health and health care editor, opines that the frequency of physician visits affords women more opportunities than men to cultivate trusting relationships with their physicians. Still, women (47%) were more likely than men (42%) to say they always or sometimes seek a second opinion, and while 46% of women said they never seek a second opinion, more than half of men (52%) said they would never seek a second opinion. (See Figure 3.3.)

Educational attainment also is related to the propensity to seek a second opinion. Fifty percent of the survey respondents who were college graduates and 52% of respondents with postgraduate education said they FIGURE 3.2 Public opinion on how often you get a second opinion from another doctor, 2004–05 Rick Blizzard, "When Your Doctor Diagnoses a Condition, or Prescribes a Treatment, Drug, or Operation, How Often Do You Get a Second Opinion from Another Doctor?" in First Opinion Good Enough for Most Patients, June 7, 2005, http://poll.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=16654&pg=1 (accessed January 25, 2006). Copyright © 2005 by The Gallup Organization. Reproduced by permission of The Gallup Organization.always or sometimes seek a second opinion, compared with 37% of those with a high school education or less. (See Figure 3.3.)

Blizzard also observed that while it seems intuitively correct to assume that persons in poor health would be more likely to seek second opinions, Gallup Poll data revealed that respondents who rated their health as excellent or good (44%) were almost just as likely to seek second opinions as those who said their health was fair or poor (45%). (See Figure 3.4.)

FIGURE 3.3 Public opinion on how often you get a second opinion, by gender, age, and educational attainment, 2004–05 Rick Blizzard, "When Your Doctor Diagnoses a Condition, or Prescribes a Treatment, Drug, or Operation, How Often Do You Get a Second Opinion from Another Doctor?" in First Opinion Good Enough for Most Patients, June 7, 2005, http://poll.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=16654&pg=1 (accessed January 25, 2006). Copyright © 2005 by The Gallup Organization. Reproduced by permission of The Gallup Organization.

FIGURE 3.4 Public opinion on how often you get a second opinion, by health status, 2004–05 Rick Blizzard, "When Your Doctor Diagnoses a Condition, or Prescribes a Treatment, Drug, or Operation, How Often Do You Get a Second Opinion from Another Doctor?" in First Opinion Good Enough for Most Patients, June 7, 2005, http://poll.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=16654&pg=1 (accessed January 25, 2006). Copyright © 2005 by The Gallup Organization. Reproduced by permission of The Gallup Organization.