Being diagnosed with a condition or having medical complaints that are not improving, can have a huge impact on your quality of life, both personal and professional. That is why it is important when you have any doubts or questions that cannot be answered by your treating medical team to reach out to another specialist as the impact can be high.
The focus of a second opinion is not always to change a diagnosis or a treatment plan, but to make sure you are on the right path. This may provide peace of mind that you are on the right path or it can make you aware about other options you could consider, all with their own pros and cons. Being enabled to make a well-informed decision and being aware of any potential risks and benefits is very important when you make decisions on treatment, particularly involving surgery.
When you decide to ask a second specialist for advice you can do this by looking for a specialist in your local area, ask your family and friends or your general practitioner for advice. As part of our international health insurance for expats package, Foyer Global Health offers the unique option for you to request an International Expert from Best Doctors to review your case, as did Jason:
Jason, in his twenties, was having a headache nearly every day for over a year. The pain was very intense and had a big impact on his life. His doctor diagnosed him as having migraines and prescribed medication. While this was helping to reduce the intensity and frequency of his headaches, he felt insecure about whether he might have something more serious.
Jason reached out to Best Doctors and a top international neurologist reviewed his case. The expert gave him the reassurance he had been looking for: yes, he had migraines and no, there was nothing more serious going on. Jason received an expert report with detailed advice on various alternatives for medication and offered a wealth of information on effective coping strategies and therapies.
If you look at the outcomes of requesting an expert second medical opinion, in 19% of cases people got a different diagnosis and in 59% of instances people get additional treatment advice1. Also when you receive a confirmation of the diagnosis and/or treatment plan of your treating team this is very valuable as you know that you´re on the right track. The service of Best Doctors is highly valued with a NPS of 71% and a 9,1/10 given by the people who used the service.
Other reasons to use the service of Best Doctors are:
- No additional costs for Foyer Global Health insureds
- You can request it from anywhere in the world
- No waiting list
- You don´t have to leave your home
- Access to the world leading experts
If you have questions or doubts about your diagnosis or medical complaints and are looking for the support of Best Doctors as a Foyer Global Health customer, all you need to do is to login to your customer area and call the dedicated number.
The service starts with an intake over the phone by one of our doctors who supports you throughout the process. This doctor discusses your questions and the medical information that is needed for the international expert reviewing your case, for example medical notes, test results, x-rays and scans, or even pathological materials to make sure your diagnosis is correct.
Once all information has been received, a selected international expert will write a report answering your questions. This report is shared digitally and discussed with you over the phone, so you can have all of your remaining questions answered. We then advise you to discuss this report with your treating doctor or GP to plan the next steps.
If you´re not yet a Foyer Global Health customer and you are interested please contact us via WhatsApp at +352 621 393 180 or email us on onlinesales@foyerglobalhealth.com.
1 Source: Best Doctors reporting for EMEAA until Nov 2020
