It used to be pretty easy to tell the difference between reliable and unreliable information. There was a time when you could at least trust that the information you were getting was offered in good faith, even if it later turned out to be wrong. Today, people and various groups are intentionally putting out fake news for the purpose of misinformation.
Things get even trickier when we are talking about medical information. When weighing your options, you need to know who to trust. Politicians are seldom good sources for matters touching on the state of the art in science and medicine. Businesses are not exactly non-bias either. Friends and family are probably not going to purposely mislead you. Then again, where did they get their information?
If you are looking at various treatment options and trying to determine which is ultimately best for you, your first option is just to take your doctor's opinion. Getting a second opinion could get you a different answer. Now what? Here are a few common-sense guidelines for sorting out medical fact from science-fiction:
Follow Your Doctor
Your doctor isn't perfect. She makes mistakes. But you chose her for a reason. You trust her. And she has served you well over the years. She not only knows about the various options, She knows your medical needs. She might suggest something like TMS for your depression. That could be unsettling if you are not familiar with it.
That is why it is perfectly reasonable to just ask her, What's TMS treatment? Doctors appreciate patients who ask lots of questions and research the options they are presented. TMS is a treatment that is easy to fit into most schedules, taking under 20 minutes per session. Results can be seen in just a few weeks. And there is no need for anesthesia. Remember, you are not just trusting the doctor to know about the procedure. You are trusting them to integrate that information with specific knowledge about your health.
Follow the Science
There was a time when all you could do was follow whatever advice you were given by your doctor. Today, it is much easier to follow the science for yourself. Coronavirus is the medical crisis of the moment. Is remdesivir a good treatment? Not according to the latest WHO study.
It is possible that your local doctor is not in the loop on the latest pandemic research news. This is when you have to lean heavily on the greater science and medical community. They are constantly doing research that is not accessible at the local level. The real challenge is reporting. When health agencies like the CDC get politicized, their reports come into question. Follow the experts to the extent that their opinions are independent.
