A second opinion is an evaluation by a doctor after a person has already been examined, diagnosed, or treated by another doctor.
A second opinion is not done to prove or disprove a doctor's recommendation. Rather, the purpose of getting a second opinion is to explore options, especially if a person is having difficulty choosing a treatment or if a diagnosis is unclear.
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise