LiveLongAgeWell

Some day in the future you might want a second medical opinion, and the newest development in that realm is the online second opinion. Two prestigious medical centers now offer this service: one through Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the other through the Cleveland Clinic.

Hopefully you’ll never need this service, but if sometime in the future you do and this post has “disappeared”, remember that you can retrieve archived posts through the “FIND IT” function on the right sidebar.

In general, it’s best to actually see, in the flesh, a physician at a medical center for a second opinion. Still, for whatever reason (such as you live too far away—or don’t know of any—eminent medical centers for your condition), you might want to consider these two options. They will also evaluate cases from outside the U.S., though records need to be translated into English…you might consider this for any friends or relatives living outside the U.S. who receive an ominous diagnosis.

These online services are not inexpensive, but if you or a loved-one has a life-threatening illness, it could be very worthwhile. The Cleveland Clinic charges $565, and the Harvard-affiliated site charges $495; more if they need to review X-rays or pathology specimens (for example a cancer biopsy done by your local doctor). Consult their individual sites for details and price information, and note that health insurance almost never covers this sort of second opinion. You can send your medical records either electronically or by mail.

Some of the situations where you might want to consider a second opinion:
• You have a rare or particularly life-threatening illness.
• Are unhappy with your care, or question the diagnosis or treatment recommended.
• Your doctor has recommended major surgery or some medical device implantation.
• You wonder if your HMO is offering the best treatment or is more interested in saving money.
• You live in a rural area and might not have access to first-rate care.

Generally if you seek out a second opinion, you want to go to a “center of excellence”, either in person or online, and both the centers mentioned here have good reputations, but of course there are no guarantees. Finally, considering the financial landscape of medicine today, you—or if you are shy, a trusted relative/friend/advocate—might ask the doctor about any financial or other conflict-of-interest in whatever treatment they are recommending, particularly if the doctor wants to implant a device, or enter you into a clinical trial.