I witnessed some of that concept, whereby you go to a hospital medical center (considered a good one of course), you get the mulitple opinion party right on the spot.
First, who says the institution is not biased or focused only on treatments, how many would tell anyone that A.S./W.W. may be a possible real option????? I did one of those appointments and saw a radiologist and an oncologist(we skipped the uro-surgeon I was already refused as cureable by Dr. Menon as the same facility)...both were found less than what I would rate as expert status, even though I got blood work done at that facility I decided both of them were over anxious to treat me and could not answer some of my questions in direct fashion. So, in my little trial of that option wasn't overly impressed, saw it as a nice marketing concept...keep the customer in house and effect a sale at all costs. I did like Dr. Menon's honesty and applaud that, in another opinion elsewhere a lesser surgeon was guaranteeing me cure and 1% chance of incontinence (he was scratched off the my list, great sales pitch).
Scratched from my list, I noticed a year later the radiologist was no longer working there (in their mailed survey form I mentioned she was untruthful and in effect lied to me directly, perhaps that had something to do with her abscence). I asked if IMRT were anywhere around Detroit and asked do you have IMRT at your hospital (not asking would I get it there, just do you have it- 2002). Both were found and proven as lying to the patient(me), I canceled radiation with her one day before starting...probably that caught adminstrations eye and my survey form reply later. I (found) got IMRT and Neutron therapy only a few miles away from that
location and my newly hired radiation onco-doc knew this other gal and said she had been to their facility. So, I was lied to in order to effect a sale...I am still vocal about
such to this day. My grade of PCa was very high risk, not a time to play any games, glad I was proactive. So, your assumption is that totally honesty and non-agendas or even drug choice biases...do not exist in the medical world....found this false and false in other patients scenarios and testimonials....
Patient has to consider everything or consider being the door mat choice, even non-treatment is a personal choice not to be over trumped by an anxious practicioneer. Read the Paact Newsletter article named URORAD....some uro-docs circumventing the Stark Laws and seeing that they do not lose a sale, by owning directly or indirectly the referral to their own radiation clinics. Apparently this is happening often enough, do not lose the sale....treatment and patient outcomes is secondary (enjoy the real world out there).
Post Edited (zufus) : 6/20/2011 6:40:26 AM (GMT-6)