Health

Cleveland Clinic’s virtual second opinion is proven to have an impact on patient care



With the outbreak of telehealth caused by the pandemic, patients are generally more comfortable than ever seeking advice and care remotely.

Because patients can turn to telehealth to increase access to specialists who can help them address critical health challenges – wherever they are – opportunities Virtual care will continue to transform traditional healthcare in 2023 and beyond.

Gokce Sezgin is the head of marketing and patient liaison at the Cleveland Clinic Clinic, which provides direct access to specialists through a virtual second opinion service.

We interviewed Sezgin to find out how virtual second opinions have improved health equity and how the telehealth platform integrates into clinical and operational workflows. behind the scenes to collect patient data.

Q. What is the Cleveland Clinic and how does it reach underserved people in underserved areas?

ONE. Is a joint venture between Cleveland Clinic and [telehealth technology vendor] Amwell, the clinic empowers patients – wherever they are – to achieve better outcomes with greater peace of mind.

The reality for many of us is that access to a specialist who can meet our health care needs varies considerably depending on our location. Intensive care deserts, which are areas of the country where specialists are not readily available, make it difficult to schedule an appointment with a doctor who is suitable for a single opinion, but not yet come to second opinion.

Today, more than a third of Americans live in a county that does not provide adequate access to primary care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, or trauma centers. The situation is likely to get worse, with tens of thousands of doctors expected to leave the profession by 2030.

The clinic offers easy, safe access to the Cleveland Clinic’s world-renowned medical expertise right at home. Through this digital health service, individuals can review their diagnosis and treatment plan and receive an opinion in about two weeks.

We assist individuals through every step of the process, from collecting and reviewing medical records to determining the best specialist for their individual needs. Patients can contact their assigned nurse care manager directly to ask questions, provide additional information, and receive updates on their case status.

Q. The clinic boasts 3,500 specialists and more than 550 advanced subspecialties. How has Access improved patient outcomes in the overall numbers?

ONE. In 2021, the clinic commissioned a third-party study to conduct an independent assessment measuring the impact of our virtual second opinion program.

The study looked at a total sample of 417 cases recorded by the clinic during Q2 and Q3 2020. Primary care and second opinion plans differed in 300 medical charts of the disease. Self-referral for a second opinion online.

In fact, 72% of expert opinions discovered a potential diagnostic shift or a proposed treatment plan modification.

Supporting patients on the path to better outcomes starts with ensuring they are on the right track, and our experience demonstrates that access to specialists can be an important part of care journey.

Q. In terms of specific use cases, how does a virtual second opinion improve outcomes for cardiovascular patients across the country?

ONE. Heart, vascular, and thoracic conditions are the main specialty areas for second opinions.

US News & World Report ranked the Cleveland Clinic as the #1 hospital for cardiology and cardiac surgery for 24 consecutive years.

Many patients now have access to the best diagnoses available through virtual second opinions.

For example, a patient named Alan, 76 years old, struggled to determine her care options after being diagnosed with regurgitation. Initially, Alan and his wife met with a nearby heart surgeon who told him he had a valve that needed to be repaired or replaced. The surgeon won’t know until he looks at Alan’s heart valve during surgery to see if repair or replacement is needed.

Through a virtual second opinion, a cardiac surgeon at the clinic that specializes in valvular surgery reviewed Alan’s existing tests and medical records.

He identified Alan as an excellent candidate for the fix.

Q. How does Amwell’s telehealth platform integrate into the clinic’s existing electronic health records, clinical workflow, and patient portal?

ONE. For virtual second opinions, the clinic leverages Amwell’s platform to serve as a standalone technology solution that can be accessed via a mobile device or web browser.

Individuals begin the second opinion process by registering online and accessing the telehealth platform to initiate or schedule a video visit with a healthcare manager. to learn about the individual’s medical concerns, services to date, any current diagnosis or treatment plan.

The nurse records individual-specific questions for the specialist in the Cleveland Clinic’s Epic electronic health record system.

Upon admission, the clinic facilitates the collection and review of appropriate records and photographs.

Using the Care Everywhere feature, the EHR imports records from other participating healthcare organizations directly into the primary patient record.

When documentation is not available through Care Everywhere, the clinic uses technologies such as AMBRA to collect records electronically or manually via electronic upload or fax. Members can also securely upload their recordings and images through the platform, if they have them.

The clinic matches personally with the most appropriate clinical expert, who then analyzes the case and prepares the opinion to be delivered both through video access via the platform and in a written report, securely shared with patients through the platform.

Q. Interoperability is a nationwide challenge. How does the clinic work to address the seamless, secure transfer of patient information?

ONE. For record collection, the process’s direct record connectivity helps ensure maximum speed, accuracy, privacy, and usability of an individual’s medical records.

If the treating physician has access to Care Everywhere, this same connection can be used in reverse to share documents and results with the treating physician.

The integrated and health system-level nature of the external medical record collection process has an average completion time of five business days for records requests in the US

Andrea Fox is the senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]

Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.

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