Two doctors give different advice — what should I compare? The items a doctor must explain before you consent to treatment

What can I compare, point by point?

What you compare first is not the conclusions but what each of the two doctors explained. The left column of the table below lists the items a doctor must explain before obtaining consent, and you can note down each side's account item by item.

If they still differ after comparing, how can I ask?

Compiled by this site: write down each side's account for every item side by side, then go back and ask about the items that differ — for example, whether the two doctors looked at the same set of reports and images, how each describes the consequences of not treating or of watching and waiting, and where the accounts of the risks differ. Asking item by item is easier to get an answer to than asking 'who is right'.

After the doctor has explained to the patient, they should, depending on the complexity of the information, the importance of the decision and the urgency of the recommended treatment, give the patient a reasonable amount of time so that the patient (or their family, where applicable) can make the decision properly (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct, section 2.8, October 2022). What to ask clearly before signing the consent form is in the doctor says I need surgery — can I ask a second doctor first.

What do I have the right to know?

A private hospital must set out policies and procedures in writing to protect a patient's right to obtain information about their own diagnosis, treatment, progress and examination results, and the right to obtain the information needed to decide whether to consent to any examination, medical procedure, operation or other treatment; that information must be clear and detailed, covering the content, effectiveness and risks of the procedure and the other recommended treatments (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, sections 12.2.2(a) and (b), July 2026).

At a day procedure centre, a patient has the right to know the treatment plan set for them so they can decide, with full information, whether to accept that treatment (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Day Procedure Centres, section 1.3.1.3, July 2026).

A patient's decision to refuse a recommended examination or treatment must be respected and recorded (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct, section 2.9, October 2022).

What does the Code say about asking one doctor for an opinion on another?

When a patient wishes to obtain another doctor's opinion, a specialist's opinion or another form of treatment, a doctor may be asked directly or indirectly for an opinion on a fellow practitioner; in that situation the doctor must give an honest opinion, consider it carefully and comment in good faith on the actual circumstances, always proceeding from the patient's best interests (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct, section 19.1, October 2022).

Making, directly or by implication, an insufficiently justified criticism that calls another doctor's professional competence or integrity into question is unethical conduct (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct, section 19.3, October 2022).

A doctor should first obtain the patient's consent before disclosing any medical information to a third party not involved in a medical referral (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct, section 1.4.1, October 2022).

How do I get both doctors looking at the same set of records?

When the two sides reach different conclusions, it is sometimes because they have different records in hand. A doctor should be aware that a patient has the right to access and correct the data in their medical records (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct, section 1.1.5, October 2022); the ways to apply for your own records, reports and images, the time limits and the fees are in how to get your own medical records, reports and images.

Which reports and images to bring to another doctor is covered in how to prepare for a second opinion; what clinical oncology and medical oncology each handle in cancer cases is covered in the difference between clinical oncology and medical oncology.

If I want to ask another doctor, how does it work in the public and private systems?

To book a new appointment at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic you need a referral letter issued by a locally registered doctor within three months, and one issued by a private doctor is also accepted; the booking steps are in how to book a public specialist clinic.

For a private specialist you can ask the hospital or clinic directly how to book. A doctor must disclose the amount of the consultation fee at the patient's request, and must display a notice in the clinic informing patients of their right to ask about the charges involved before accepting treatment (Medical Council of Hong Kong, Code of Professional Conduct, sections 12.1 and 12.4, October 2022); a private hospital must keep a fee schedule covering all charge items, and the patient has the right to know the charges before accepting treatment and any medical procedure (Department of Health, Code of Practice for Private Hospitals, sections 33.1.1 and 33.2.1, July 2026). Consultation fee levels are in private specialist fees, and what to prepare before seeing a doctor is in what to prepare before seeing a specialist.

Which option suits an individual patient is for the attending doctor to decide according to the individual case.

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