MSNBC.com ran a piece encouraging patients to question their doctor’s diagnosis:
Symptoms of one condition can mimic those of another, leading to treatment that is ineffective at best and that may allow the real problem to get worse. Don’t be fooled. Sleuth out what’s actually making you sick so you can find the right remedy and feel better fast.
While that’s true, remember that the simplest, initial diagnoses are correct much of the time. Not all hoof beats are zebras.
Internist Matthew Mintz says that being “your own detective is an unwise suggestion,” and gives more practical tips for patients to use.
