It is particularly useful in the modern managed care era when there is often insufficient time for the doctor to explain all of this to the patient. This book should help both patients and doctors. You've just told a patient that they have cancer. They need a means of coping with all they will have to face. Most of all, they should not panic and make precipitous decisions.
Many people have a hard time questioning their doctor's diagnosis and advice.
Second opinions may offer the patient an additional perspective and a different form of treatment. Second opinions are often obtained through the patients health care system. This is meant to help them organize their information and thoughts. The information in the Checklist is likely to be explained to them in conversation with their doctor but in most encounters it is hard to remember all the details for a few reasons. The terminology is new and may be confusing, and anxiety makes understanding and grasping subtleties all the more difficult.