Asking for a second medical opinion - a patient's right or a concession?

摘要

Asking for a second medical opinion (SMO) is a complex process which may influence a patient's diagnosis, treatment or prognosis. In Romania, asking for a SMO represents a patient's right and is protected by Patient's Rights Law and by Medical Deontological Code. Instead of this, few patients are asking for a SMO maybe because of the cultural background dominated by a paternalistic model of medical communication.