Asking doctor for an MRI and other tests?

Question

Im going to the doctor tomorrow and the last time I was there he told me I had anxiety. Im really paranoid about having all kinds of different diseases so I want to ask him for an MRI and some blood tests. Do you think he will give them to me or just brush it off as anxiety? Im really worried!

Answer 1

He won't just brush it off, he'll also be somewhat annoyed. There are reasons one orders tests, and if you don't have them, then he has something of an obligation not to order them. That's especially true if you're planning to have your insurance company pay for it. It's less of a problem ethically if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket, but it is slightly unethical for you to ask others to pay for expensive and unneeded tests, which is what you're doing if you expect your insurer to pay. Also, in some areas, MRI isn't easily available, and it would be a shame to clog up the system needlessly.

Answer 2

With due respect to Sir Dr. John De Witt, I will argue on few things.

Regular medical check-ups are very necessary. If you’re not making regular visits to see your doctor, you’re not taking advantage of all the help your doctor can give you.

Doctors help their patients through prevention, screening and treatment. Regular visits that include tests and screenings allows your doctor to help you prevent health problems from occurring or catch problems early enough to be treated more easily.

Many screening tests are recommended by various authority agencies, numerous medical associations, non-profitable organizations,etc, almost in every first world country. The best example of a country to be considered is Canada. In this country, a family physician will get annoyed with his/her patients if they don't make regular visits for check-ups. A specialist will get annoyed with the family physicians for not encouraging the awareness of regular check-ups amongst their patients, and with the patient for not getting his/her regular check-ups done. The list goes forth and on.

Back to your question, I believe that only in your case, getting an MRI and EEG will be of a good idea. Otherwise, Please be reasonable when it comes to the availability and necessity of certain tests.

Wishing You A Good Health !