FAQ
Getting a second opinion from a highly-specialized radiologist dramatically reduces the risk of misdiagnosis. After all, the key to a proper diagnosis and action plan is the accurate interpretation of your images—relative to your age and medical history. Second opinion radiology leaves no stone unturned, ensures accuracy and precision, and sheds light on all available options and treatment plans. Specialization and focus is at the heart of our offering so that your case is seen by an expert in your specific problem area. Our team has been hand-picked and represents the best and the brightest in their respective fields.
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Who are the doctors working on medical second opinions? What are their credentials?
Our curated team of highly skilled and experienced doctors hail from prominent and practice at some of the most respected institutions in the United States. These are leaders in their respective fields - frequently presenting at national and global health conferences.
In addition, we have practitioners of alternative and eastern medicine to provide a holistic approach to complex health issues. This allows us to provide you will solutions that are tailored to your particular needs and wants. To view a full list of our doctors and their credentials, please CLICK HERE.
How quickly can I get a second opinion for the standard or expedited package?
If you choose the Standard Package, then we will provide you the review, report and second opinion between 5 - 10 days after we receive all the relevant medical information. You’ll receive the same within 48 hours if you opt for the Expedited Package.
Can I share my concerns or queries after receiving my analyzed and reviewed reports?
The reports are reviewed, analyzed and second opinions are processed by the appropriate member/s of our team as per the package you purchase. If you have a specific query, you can get in touch with us at any time and we will assist you.
What all tests are covered or required for a breast-related the second opinion?
We have doctors specializing in all areas of breast cancer treatment including radiologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and nutritionists. Any information you provide will help our team including mammograms, ultrasounds, breast MRIs, CTs, PET/CTs, pathology from biopsies and surgeries, family history, genetic testing, and any other relevant information.
We can help you with anything from screening mammograms to cancer treatments to follow-up. We can help you decide which course is best for you when for example you are facing further imaging, a biopsy, radiation or surgery. Our subspecialized physicians can walk you through this often confusing process so that you understand and are comfortable with your decisions. Many of our physicians work with clinical trials and can provide information on the most cutting-edge treatments available.
How do you select a doctor for me?
The doctors are selected based on your particular need and their respective area of subspecialization. When assembling a team, we bring in providers with different skill sets that complement each other. We also bring in other providers such as physical therapists, nutritionists, and those that practice alternative and eastern medicine.
Do I need my physician’s permission to request a medical second opinion?
You do not need anyone’s permission to request a second opinion, although we would be happy to work with and inform your primary care physician or other providers if you wish. Welby is completely confidential and we share your information with no one unless you explicitly request it.
Is insurance accepted or not?
Our Second Opinion reads and interpretations are economical and cost-effective. Patients seeking our Second Opinion Reads can submit a copy of their receipt and we will provide them with the required information that will enable the patient to submit on their own and get directly reimbursed from the insurance provider (percentage of reimbursement determined by their insurance company)
Can I track the status of my reports?
Once we receive all relevant medical information, documents, and payment, you will receive email updates on the status of your report.
If I do not understand my reports or have a general question can I speak with the radiologist or other doctors?
We are always available to answer your questions. If you would like to speak directly with one of our providers we can schedule a telehealth consult for an additional fee. This would be done through a video chat similar to Facetime although it would be secure and encrypted to ensure your privacy
Can getting a Second Opinion help to enhance the patient care process?
Second Interpretations can increase second read accuracy by 90% and help improve patient care. Furthermore, for abnormal studies, the error rate in the case of radiology interpretation is above 33%.
Can a second opinion help in preventing a misdiagnosis?
Medical errors are amongst the leading cause of death - more than fatal car accidents. 1 in 5 Americans report experiences of medical errors or misdiagnosis, as per the Commonwealth Fund. The Department of Health and Human Services in a 2008 report found that 45% adverse medical conditions and misdiagnosis could have been avoided or prevented via advanced interpretation or second opinions.
Can getting a Second Opinion help to enhance the patient care process?
Second Interpretations can increase second read accuracy by 90% and help improve patient care. Furthermore, for abnormal studies, the error rate in the case of radiology interpretation is above 33%.
Can a second opinion help in preventing a misdiagnosis?
Medical errors are amongst the leading cause of death - more than fatal car accidents. 1 in 5 Americans report experiences of medical errors or misdiagnosis, as per the Commonwealth Fund. The Department of Health and Human Services in a 2008 report found that 45% of adverse medical conditions and misdiagnosis could have been avoided or prevented via advanced interpretation or second opinions.
Can a second opinion help in preventing a misdiagnosis?
A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology found that breast imaging specialists provide significant value to patients when conducting a second-opinion review of imaging studies, even before the patient is diagnosed with breast cancer.
The authors performed a retrospective search of their institution’s data from 2014 to identify patients who self-referred for a second-opinion review after receiving imaging services at an outside institution. The study included 147 patients with 176 lesions.
Overall, the second-opinion review was discordant with the original interpretation 47 percent of the time. The second-opinion review also downgraded 25 percent of lesions originally reported as “suspicious,” averting biopsy for those patients, and upgraded 39 percent of lesions originally reported as "benign" or "probably benign."
In addition, the second-opinion review resulted in a total of 87 lesions being biopsied. Thirty-two percent of those biopsies were recommended after the breast imaging specialist’s second-opinion review. Twenty-nine percent of those biopsies yielded cancer.
"Overall, 51 percent of patients who sought a second opinion by a breast imaging specialist at our cancer center received a significant interpretation change,” wrote author Kristen Coffey, MD, of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center in New York City, and colleagues. This is consistent with the 28 percent to 57 percent range reported in breast imaging literature and higher than the 19% to 42% range reported by other oncologic radiology subspecialties. Because over three-quarters of the submitted studies were initially interpreted by radiologists practicing in the community, our observed discordance and increased cancer detection rates likely reflect differences in subspecialty training and experience among the radiologists, as previously reported."
51% of patients seeking second-opinion review from breast imaging specialists received big interpretation changes
Radiology Business for Leaders Navigating Value-Based Care
June 29, 2018 | Michael Walter | Quality
Can I get a refund, if I’m not satisfied with the second opinion?
Our utmost priority is patient experience and building relationships. If you feel that we haven’t met or exceeded your expectations, we would be happy to discuss a full or partial refund.
What is the cost of reading an MRCP MRI?
This is a single MRI and the cost depends on the package you select.
What's the cost to review MRIs of my fullback?
This would be 3 separate MRIs including the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine so the cost would be $300 x 3 or $900, $1500 if expedited ($500 x 3)
How will I be billed for my report?
You pay for the service up front with no bills showing up later in the mail.
Is your system secure?
We have partnered with Ambra - a third-party secure medical record maintenance service to help our customers to upload their medical data in a secure and hassle-free method. Communication between your computer and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard SSL technology. Studies are stored on our server temporarily for the purpose of diagnostic viewing.
After a retention period of up to 8 weeks, studies are removed permanently from our servers unless you request us to hold them longer for you or if you subscribe to our service on a monthly or yearly basis. The access to your studies is monitored, logged and granted only to appropriate parties. Physical access to our server is restricted and monitored.
What assurance can I expect regarding my medical information being kept private?
We at WelbyMD take the privacy of your medical records and personal information very seriously and promise to never share your information with any third parties. We undertake all the necessary restrictions to protect your confidentiality as per the applicable laws. Communication between your computer and our servers is encrypted using industry-standard SSL technology. Studies are stored on our server temporarily for the purpose of diagnostic viewing. After a retention period of up to 8 weeks, studies are removed permanently from our servers unless you request us to hold them longer for you or if you subscribe to our service on an ongoing basis. The access to your studies is monitored, logged and granted only to appropriate parties. Physical access to our server is restricted and monitored.
Is your payment system secure?
We at WelbyMD take the privacy of our client's personal information very seriously. We take all the necessary restrictions to protect your confidentiality. All our payments are done through secure payment with Stripe that provides technical, fraud prevention, and banking infrastructure required to operate online payment systems.
We also use Square, which allows smooth and easy payment options for all our client’s.
How do I send my radiology images?
You can easily upload your images and other medical documents from your home computer using our HIPAA compliant, cloud-based upload tool. If you have any issues or aren’t in possession of these, you can simply sign a release and our team can gather them for you.
