Health · Healthcare & Policy · 3 hrs ago
Doctors say patients should feel free to seek a second opinion
Carol Daniel sought a second opinion after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2022.
She worried that consulting another doctor might seem like a betrayal of the doctor treating her.
A family physician says patients should not feel awkward about asking for another opinion.
The doctor says care teams should support patients and welcome open conversations.
Primary care providers can help patients navigate specialist advice and understand different diagnoses or opinions.
Patients can ask their primary care provider for help deciding how to proceed.
Patients should feel free to seek a second medical opinion, family physician Jen Caudle says.
Caudle encourages patients to discuss second opinions openly with their care team.
She says a primary care provider can help patients navigate specialists’ opinions and diagnoses.
Carol Daniel, diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2022, said she worried that seeking another doctor might seem like a betrayal.
The advice appeared in a KFF Health News article published Oct. 13, 2026.
- Who
- Patients considering a second opinion, and family physician Jen Caudle.
- What
- Caudle says patients should not feel awkward about seeking another opinion and can ask their primary care provider for help.
- When
- The article was published Oct. 13, 2026. Daniel was diagnosed in 2022.
- Where
- Caudle practices in New Jersey; Daniel lives near St. Louis.
- Why
- Patients may worry that seeking another opinion signals distrust, but Caudle says their care team should support them.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Carol Daniel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and her husband encouraged her to seek a second opinion.
KFF Health News published an article about the sometimes-awkward process of seeking a second opinion.
- Diagnosis
- Carol Daniel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2022.
- Physician
- Jen Caudle is a family medicine physician practicing in New Jersey.
- Patient
- Daniel lives near St. Louis.
- Publication
- KFF Health News published the article on Oct. 13, 2026.
What people are saying
We shouldn’t be offended,
We should support you.
Am I cheating on him? Am I going behind his back? Am I acting like I don’t trust him by seeking a second opinion?
Sources
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