Are patients being presented with treatment alternatives?

Recently, an article on patient decision-making appeared in the New York Times. The article discussed how physicians may not be presenting newly-diagnosed patients with all of their treatment options, especially alternatives that might require that they leave their current physician. I have long been concerned, for example, that newly-diagnosed cancer patients may stay with an oncologist who treats multiple types of cancer rather than going to one who specializes in their specific diagnosis, or to a cancer treatment center that might provide care by a team of leading experts. No diagnosis is so routine that a patient can’t potentially benefit from the working with an expert! It is important to take the time to explore all of the treatment alternatives. But if newly-diagnosed patients are overcome by fear, or feel the need to ‘just get it over with’ and aovid uncomfortable emotions, then chances are, they will grasp at the first alternative that is presented to them.