Online services let patients seek a second opinion from home

You could be getting a second opinion on line instead of a lengthy trip to a 2nd physician.  Of course it all depends on what the diagnosis and recommended treatment plans could be, but big problem here, insurance more than likely will not cover it, so we are back between a rock and a hard spot again.  What’s better today is the fact that files no longer need to be faxed and images, etc. can also be sent via the Internet.  The cost which can be paid by credit card runs between $500 and $1500 normally and the number of pathology and radiology interpretations will make a difference for the bottom line charge.  This could easily be beneficial for seniors as well.  BD 

Harlow turned to the renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston for a second opinion. "I tried to cover every base," she says. But Harlow, 60, decided not to travel to Boston from where she lives in West Chester, Pa. She discovered that by submitting her medical records through a service called Partners Online Specialty Consultations (POSC), she could obtain a second opinion from a top specialist without leaving home.

The three main leaders in remote second-opinion services — the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine and POSC — each say they are serving about 1,000 patients a year. "In about 5% of the cases, we actually change the diagnosis of the patient. In 85% to 90% of the cases, we alter the treatment," says Jonathan Shaffer, managing director of e-Cleveland Clinic. "What we are able to do is give the patient more treatment options and hopefully give the patient more peace of mind," he says.

Online services let patients seek a second opinion from home - USATODAY.com