What Is the Value of Second Opinion Services to Otolaryngologists and Their Patients?

by Katie Robinson •

Second Opinion Services

The number of second opinion services is growing. Below are the details of what some of these services offer.

  • Teladoc Health (http://www.teladoc.com). Teladoc delivers virtual healthcare for consumer members via telephone, video, or app. Clinicians are provided with software and medical–grade telehealth devices to enable them to carry out virtual consultations. Virtual tools are provided to allow real-time collaboration with peers from around the world to address challenging cases. 
  • Best Doctors (www.bestdoctors.com). Best Doctors has a team of experts around the world in specialties and subspecialties that offer virtual care to members through the company’s app. Consumers submit requests on the app, and the specialists work with the existing physician to finalize the treatment plan. 
  • Grand Rounds, Doctor On Demand (www.includedhealth.com).

    These two subsidiaries of Included Health offer telemedicine services in the United States only. Virtual care is provided to members and qualifying dependents who are enrolled in their employer-sponsored medical plan. Employees can pay out of pocket, however, if the service isn’t covered by their insurance. 

  • Second Opinions (www.secondopinions.com). A subsidiary of Nanox, Second Opinions provides virtual second opinion consultation in all areas of medicine. The global service allows patients to upload images and pay a fee for a telemedicine consultation with an expert. The service also includes a portal to allow patients to research their condition and offers a risk-of-disease calculator.
  • DoctorSpring (www.doctorspring.com). This online platform allows individuals to get their medical questions answered via email by a specialist within two hours. After providing the relevant information and uploading test results and images, consumers can choose to consult a multispecialty board or a single second opinion. After evaluating the information and providing a second opinion report, the physician can answer any follow-up questions.