Dear Judy,
I’ll bet you never had this question before. I happen to know for a fact that a supposedly “brilliant” oncologist in our area is actually a complete quack. Or if not a complete quack, a real screw-up. I know because my friend who has stomach cancer is considering suing him for malpractice, and she has good reason. The follow-up care was a disaster. There was, initially, a partial misdiagnosis. And by the way, she’s sicker than ever.
The other day, I overheard two women discussing this doctor. One of them had consulted with him. The other mentioned that the doctor had a superb reputation, which he does. It’s just completely undeserved.
I said nothing at the time I overheard the conversation, and now I’m kicking myself. Should I have spoken up?
Trudy in Baltimore
Dear Trudy,
Stomach cancer happens to be a particularly virulent disease, so the fact that your friend is, as you say, sicker than ever does not necessarily reflect on an oncologist’s skill or judgment.
But you also mention that there was an initial misdiagnosis and that follow-up care was faulty or inadequate. And those are serious complaints. So yes — if I overheard two people in discussion about whether or not to go to an oncologist I considered mediocre, I might say something.
I would not suggest the doctor was a quack. I would, however, explain that a friend with stomach cancer found his services inadequate. There should ideally be a Consumer’s Report on physicians. But as right now there isn’t, we all have to step into the void and provide the reviews ourselves.
Thank you for writing,
Judy
Did the friend get a second opinion? Has the friend been to another doctor? Doctors are human and there will be misdiagnosis from time to time. But that isn’t a basis for declaring this doctor a quack or unworthy of his reputation.
Harold
Judy,
Not only should there be a Consumer’s Report on Doctors, but you should be able to get their peroformance, ratings by patients and peers online. No doubt some objective group could provide the indicators and do the ratings-not the AMA!
Barton
Pretend for one moment that you’re discussing a doctor who’s treating you for a life-threatening condition. Then pretend someone knows information about this doctor — like he’s a quack, or he’s being sued for malpractice — nd has a chance to tell you but doesn’t, because that would be meddling. How would you feel? Does that answer your question?