The option of getting a second opinion prior to a major medical procedure such as surgery can sometimes be one step away from death. Getting a second opinion or consultation is a viable option all patients and medical professionals face. In fact for several years, hospitals have decreed the use of second opinions when exorbitantly expensive surgeries or speculative treatments have been recommended. The method of attaining a second opinion has become so valuable now that some hospitals invoke penalties on employees who don’t follow such protocol, as hospitals in the United States have made it mandatory to acquire a second opinion before certain surgeries/treatments. Additionally, some medical insurance companies offer to search for the best possible physician or specialist to connect a patient with.
When examining the merit of second opinions, evaluating costs and outcomes is a primary concern; for the question of whether or not second opinions do in fact save money or improve overall quality of care and outcomes is still a little muddled. There are cases where a second opinion doesn’t offer any new insight and restates the original diagnosis. However, this still doesn’t detract from the ability inherent in second opinions to correct any error(s) made within the first diagnosis in a timely fashion and minimize risks in relation to the proposed treatment. Furthermore, doctors themselves encourage and advise their patients’ to procure a second opinion from another medical professional before undergoing a major procedure and/or treatment to ensure the best possible outcome in difficult cases.
Now, as medicine gets more involved with, and utilizes the benefits of, digital media i.e. the Internet, this helps support and aptly manage the use of second opinions; as they now rely on more specialized expertise in reviewing medical records and prescribed methods of treatment online. Moreover, the electronic use of medical records expedites the process of obtaining a second opinion; as patients feel more in control of who they choose as their consult and how they can reach them. By moving the process to an online platform patients don’t have to wait months before their case is reviewed by another specialist or medical professional. They also don’t have to endure the taxation of travel to another part of the country or in some cases, the globe, to secure a second opinion. All can be performed digitally, operating on the basis that the patient is in full control of the process.
Allowing patients a viable channel of connecting with another physician/specialist via online eliminates two major issues. The first is the issue of ‘time.’ Receiving a devastating medical diagnosis is very stressful, but to then face a daunting treatment/procedure can overwhelm a person. They may get the false sense that there is not enough ‘time’ to get a second opinion. However, in Rita Wilson’s case, the actress and wife of actor Tom Hanks, time was a non-issue.
“I share this to educate others that a second opinion is critical to your health. You have nothing to lose if both opinions match up for the good, and everything to gain if something that was missed is found, which does happen. Early diagnosis is key,” Rita Wilson said in statement released in People Magazine.
Rita Wilson received a second opinion before opting to undergo a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction following her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this month. Wilson strongly attributes her second opinion as lifesaving and therefore encourages others to do the same. And now, with the availability of quality medical services online, such as SecondOpinions.com, a second medical opinion and consultation, is quite literally at a patient’s fingertips.
Another problem which online second opinion services help to resolve is a patient’s concern regarding a questioning the decision of their physician. When met with unnerving news a patient may be reluctant to seek out another opinion so as not to offend their physician. Of course, common sense would indicate that it is the patient’s responsibility to do what they think is best for them, without having to trouble themselves with how their physician may react. If that means obtaining a second opinion, so be it. By engaging with another “second opinion” physician online, patients can get second opinions more discreetly. Because, as in Rita Wilson’s case a second opinion may be the determining factor that can save a life.
“I hope this will encourage others to get a second opinion and to trust their instincts if something doesn’t ‘feel’ right.”
Therefore patients are strongly encouraged to seek second opinions to gather all the information they need in order to make an informed decision that works best for them.
