Why diagnoses go wrong and what you can do about it.

• Position: Interview

Q: If someone asked you to explain in 20 seconds what Best Doctors does, how would you answer?

A: We are turning traditional notions of health care on their head. In today's confusing maze of a health care system, we get people the right answers to their medical questions. We do this in lots of different ways, but all of it involves figuring out what is actually wrong, asking the right questions, and getting the right answers from the world's best expert physicians. Today, we serve 30 million members around the world, and we believe that through our work we are on our way to changing health care forever.

Q: Can you give us an example of a case where Best Doctors corrected a diagnosis?

A: My favorite example is close to home--my own brother. Brad. He's the co-creator of the TV show "Glee," and before coming to Best Doctors, he was incorrectly diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his spinal cord. His doctors had scheduled him for radiation and surgery to get rid of the tumor, which is actually the right thing to do for that kind of condition. The trouble is, that wasn't the condition he had.

So we reviewed all of his medical information and family medical history. and our doctors found a clue that ended up being lifesaving for him. It turned out we have a family history of a condition that could easily be confused for a malignant tumor. Best Doctors recommended some additional tests. which confirmed that he didn't have a tumor at all. The treatment that was originally planned was in fact very dangerous, given his actual condition. Today, having received both the right diagnosis and right treatment from Best Doctors, he is doing great. What's amazing about my brother's case is that stories like his are more common than most of us think.

Q: The public is starting to hear more about how often people are misdiagnosed, and about getting second opinions. In this day and age, why is misdiagnosis happening so often in the first place?

A: Doctors today are the best educated and best trained than at any time in history. They have the best technology out there, and every year more and more treatments are available. So how can misdiagnoses still happen? The problem. we believe. is in how our health care system works. Doctors sometimes have to see 30 or more patients a day, and often can spend only 15 minutes or less with each one. What's happening is that doctors and patients just don't have the time together that they need to ask all the right questions...