Michael O’Brien’s doctor failed to diagnose his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. But that’s not why O’Brien gave him the boot. A couple of physician friends had also checked out the mysterious lump near his right collarbone. “They didn’t think it was a problem either,” he says. “Doctors are human and make mistakes.” 

   What got O’Brien steamed was the 90 minutes he typically spent in the doctor’s waiting room. Plus, he recognized a growing patient-doctor disconnect. By 2003, when his non-Hodgkin’s — a type of cancer — was diagnosed, the suburban Boston father was taking five pills daily to treat allergies, blood pressure, and cholesterol. “I wanted to become healthier without medication,” he says. “I was in my 40s, and the number of pills I had to pop every day was ridiculous.” 

   O’Brien, now 55 pounds lighter and cancer-free, has shed nearly all of his prescriptions. But not his fierce belief that patients should approach doctors with a little less of the reverence they reserve for, say, their pastors. “You should treat your doctor as a colleague — you should both be active in managing your healthcare.” 

   Worn out by an afternoon of cranky patients, some doctors would be quick to retort that people are able to fend for themselves. Still, they don’t dispute that time pressures are becoming more acute, even as medical care is increasingly complex. One potential casualty, if doctors and patients don’t stay sharp, is that cornerstone of good medical care: the doctor-patient relationship. Contact for complete article.