Being an a High-Risk Pregnancy fellow, I usually get appropriate and timely referrals more than 99 % of the time.

I had a pregnant patient once with the 'Broken Heart Syndrome'; and it was Cardiology service in the CCU who made the diagnosis; that is their area of expertise anyways. And yes it was the first time I hear about such a condition. It doesn't mean I don't update myself, I do in fact but in my area of expertise which is OBGYN and High-Risk Pregnancy. The patient was sick enough to consult cardiology and they've done their job properly and efficiently.

It's OK for patients to surfe the internet looking for infos and all, and we recieve phone calls almost on daily basis from concerned patients just clarifying and rectifying some false knowledge that they've acquired by just browsing the net. One of our jobs is to educate patients and that's what this site is doing. However I'll be careful about comments that can break doctor-patient trust like the one made in this article that Haris has pinpointed to. After all, the primary care physician has done his job properly by referring the patient to cardiology which was all she needed at the time.

Good day all..

Patients of course need to listen to their doctors, but they also need to arm themselves with the knowledge to ask intelligent questions and relate their doctor's advice to their own circumstances.

I could cite many examples of a patient alerting a doctor to a problem that might otherwise have been overlooked. The medical relationship should be an equal partnership between doctor and patient, with respect on both sides.

The doctor is not an all-knowing diety, but an educated advisor. He or she is the expert on medicine, but the patient is the expert on his or her own symptoms and circumstances.

Personally, I would not want to be your patient until you have had enough years of real-world experience to gain true wisdom. Right now you only have facts.

"In this state of health care, primary doctors often don’t have time to read all the medical journals and research out there. So, empower yourself and if you suspect your symptoms are something other than what they say – speak up and talk it over with your doctor"
So let me get this straight the author is telling people, don't listen to the person who went to medical school and then trained for years to take care of patients and are required to keep up-to-date with continuing medical education. Rather, you are better off consulting de facto health advisers like Ms. Denice.
As a cardiologist in training, I strongly feel that Ms. Denice owes an apology to her mother's primary care. The diagnosis of broken heart is a diagnosis of exclusion (i.e. you refer the patient to the cardiologist and then an angiogram should be done if it is indicated). The primary care doctor did exactly what any responsible physician should have done, referred the patient to a cardiologist to make sure that there was nothing dangerous (big heart attack) going on, rather than focusiing on a rare syndrome. Her mother could have been having a heart attack which could be potentially life threatening and may have been saved by timely intervention.
Don't get me wrong, patient have the right to ask questions, know what is going on and decide on their treatment options. But, please know when to be critical of the healthcare system on appropriate times, rather than just publishing articles which may have no real sense.