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A second opinion will mean a new diagnosis 88% of the time, study says

Posted at 6:35 AM, Apr 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-11 06:35:17-04

If you get a troubling diagnosis, consider getting a second opinion.

A new study by the Mayo Clinic found that a second opinion will only agree with an initial diagnosis 12 percent of the time. That means 88 percent of the time, a second opinion led to a new diagnosis.

Of the changed diagnoses, 21 percent resulted in a completely new diagnosis. In 66 percent of cases, the diagnosis was "refined or redefined," according to the Mayo Clinic.

"This second opinion could lead to quicker access to lifesaving treatment or stopping unnecessary treatments," the  Mayo Clinic's website reads. "And a second opinion may reduce stress in a patient’s extended family, when they learn the new diagnosis does not carry dire genetic implications."

You can read more about the study here.