The second opinion is not an insult. It is good medicine.

One of the most under-used tools in patient safety is the second opinion. Many patients hesitate, worried about offending their treating doctor. A good doctor will not be offended. A good doctor will frequently recommend it.

Second opinions are most valuable when the diagnosis is serious, the treatment is invasive or irreversible, or the recommended path is unusual. They are not a vote of no confidence. They are a sanity check, and clinicians use them routinely on themselves.