Yes, May I Have A Second Opinion, Please?

The new information age is absolutely astounding. I'm not sure if it means we're collectively smarter, but we're certainly able to access medical information in a whole new way. The internet has revolutionized the way medical decisions work. Now anyone with a smartphone can instantly research any medical condition, technique, or procedure within seconds.

In the last month, people have accessed this very website from iPhones, iPads, iPods, Blackberrys, and Androids, according to Google Analytics.

There are two ways for a doctor to react to this explosion of information. On one hand, there is a lot of demonstrably false information floating around on the interwebs. On the other hand, the potential for patients to be educated about their own health is extremely exciting. There is so much medical information out there that none of us is in danger of knowing it all. That's why the health care field is so specialized: chiropractic, orthopedic, neurologic, naturopathic, homeopathic, osteopathic, oncologic, pediatric, geriatic, obstetric, surgical, and so on and so forth. But that doesn't mean that there's too much medical information to help you.

Personally, I love it when patients continue to ask questions. There are many kinds of questions. Some of the most common are pointed questions about a specific topic ("Is your name Dr. Johnson?"), but some of the best are open-ended questions ("What could cause back pain?"). The open-ended question allows the answer to take our imaginations in flight, to open our eyes, to light the fire of understanding.

My hope is that patients retain that sense of investigation, that sense of wondering and questioning. The more informed a patient is, the better decisions they will make about their own health. Because, when it really comes down to it, you are your own best advocate. A doctor can advise and educate, but ultimately your health is your decision. You can use well-placed questions in every situation: when choosing a doctor, when investigating a treatment, when learning about your own anatomy. The more questions you ask, the more answers you get, the more knowledge you accumulate. And knowledge is priceless.

So, any questions?