[escape_goat]

I do not think it true that it goes "both ways." Patients do not have a collective responsibility to doctors. Patients should not go untreated because other patients lie about their addictions. Being a doctor means exactly watching dozens of horses go in and out the door each day and saying "that's a zebra" before the zebra makes it to the exit. There's a fundamental responsibility to perform differential rather than normative diagnosis.

[s1artibartfast]

Patients do not have a collective responsibility to doctors, but I dont think doctors have the responsibility to provide a diagnosis at all.

I think people have strange and exaggerated expectations.

You don't go to a car mechanic and expect them to have all the answers and perfect accuracy. The expectation is that they will take a look and provide their fallible opinion.

[ok_dad]

Doctors should be held to higher standards than auto mechanics.

[TillE]

If a particular doctor is clueless, that's what referrals are for. You don't just shrug and move on.