[ivancdg]

Funny, when I read your 3rd paragraph, that made me think of the danger of putting too much faith in doctors.

Doctors get really peeved at people who research online and self-diagnose. On the other hand no-one cares about your health as much as you do, and no-one has access to as much information about what the root causes of malady could be.

Although Christopher Hitchens hated the expression 'X is battling with cancer', the phrase implies a personal engagement (as opposed to delegating) which can indeed make all the difference in the world.

[nnethercote]

Here's a description I like: you know more about your own body than your doctor does, but your doctor knows more about bodies in general than you do, so you have to work together.

[abecedarius]

That's well said, as far as it goes, but I wouldn't leave out the point about different incentives and levels of investment in the outcome for the two parties. (The pithy, cynical versions: "First, let them get sick" (Seth Roberts) and the life/dinner principle (Dawkins and Krebs).)

[urbanjunkie]

> Doctors get really peeved at people who research online and self-diagnose

Good doctors encourage patients to understand their condition. Let's not conflate that with exasperation over people who have a week old cough that they've decided is lung cancer because they've spent too much time on wrongdiagnosis.com.

[ivancdg]

The larger point about personal responsibility is more important than applying the metaphor to every possible case.

No matter who you hire, in any context, it is up to you to make sure they do a good job with the tools available to you.

[urbanjunkie]

Every possible case? Your analogy was terrible. Your follow up was much better, and is what you should have said in the first place.

[confluence]

I'm sorry - I just couldn't resist: http://9gag.com/gag/2074385

You are completely right about the "wrongdiagnosis.com" conclusion. Be aware of your health, and the general statistical chance of various diseases (heart/diabetes/alzheimers etc.). Also get a second or third opinion from other reputable doctors if you disagree. The chances of them all being wrong is very small.

Those examples you hear of people going to "10 doctors who all say they're fine when they in fact have a rare disease" are, by definition, insanely rare.

It's usually the flu :D.