Receiving the Diagnosis
In the past it was quite common for doctors to keep their diagnosis of MS from the patient. Sometimes relatives would be informed but told to keep the knowledge to themselves. People would find out they had MS by overhearing conversations between medical staff, catching glimpses of their medical notes or steaming open letters to their GP.
Nowadays there is a stronger climate of openness in the medical profession, and in society in general. Most doctors recognise that the patient has a right to full information about their condition and patients are better informed and less willing to accept incomplete explanations. However, there can still be conflict between the patient and the doctor regarding how much information should be given and when. The patient has often spent months or years trying to find out what is causing their symptoms, and is desperate for information. On the other hand, the doctor knows that MS is a difficult disease to diagnose accurately and is aware of the devastating effect the news will have. He or she may suspect MS quite early on, but be unwilling to say anything until the diagnosis is definite. It is thought that about 5% of diagnoses of MS are incorrect.