In this ongoing series, our CEO Justin Dearborn and other members of the Praia leadership team react to conversations happening in the industry that are helping us better understand the consumer’s point of view in healthcare.
Frank McGillin is CEO of The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, the joint venture between Cleveland Clinic and Amwell that is a leading provider of virtual second opinions.
In an interview that originally aired on the Healthcare Rap Podcast, Frank discussed virtual specialty care trends that their team is seeing, the cost savings of virtual second opinions, and designing services to help patients manage their emotional journey. He also shared highlights from a research study that their team recently commissioned to better understand where they are seeing demand for virtual second opinions.
This conversation hits on many shared beliefs that align with Praia Health’s point of view. We pulled out some key insights from the episode. For each one, read what Frank shared in the original episode, followed by Justin’s commentary today.
Frank:
There are big gaps in terms of both the patient demand as well as the supply of quality expertise, especially with things like cancer or complex cardiac conditions. People look for a second opinion generally when they're facing a consequential decision: Do I have surgery? Do I have this complex intervention? Have I received a life-threatening or life-changing diagnosis? Those are reasons that people come for a second opinion.
Justin’s commentary:
As consumers, we have become accustomed to shopping around, reading reviews, and understanding the products available to us. This trend has carried over to healthcare as well. Consumers seeking specialty care, often with serious life-impacting consequences, want to be able to understand their options. Second opinions and destination medicine opportunities present a great opportunity for consumers to either validate their initial recommendation, seek out a confirmatory opinion, or become exposed to additional available options.
Frank:
Making specialty care available virtually gets back to the whole point about being consumer centric. We understand that individuals who come for a virtual second opinion are in a high-stress situation. They've just been given pretty consequential news, and they're trying to understand their options. They're trying to understand if the diagnosis is correct. They're trying to get the peace of mind that they're managing their health most effectively.
Justin’s commentary:
More than anything else, expert second opinions can offer peace of mind. It gives the patient confirmation that the original diagnosis and course of treatment was correct and that they will be well cared for. This will ease the mental burden on patients facing tough decisions.
Frank:
A typical American doesn't necessarily either have connections or an understanding of the healthcare system. Even if you're located in an area with an academic medical center with the high-quality expertise, wait times can be 3 or 4 months to see a specialist. We hear a lot of frustration from consumers that can't get the access they need.
Justin’s commentary:
Access is the hot topic of 2025! As most health systems are capacity-constrained in today’s market, they need to continue to look to orchestrating partner and affiliate providers into the consumer workflows. Legacy health systems need to work with provider or service partners to offload demand for areas realizing high-capacity constraints. We see this across primary care providers, behavioral health, and most recently specialty care. Virtual specialty care options are a great way to offload demand while continuing to meet patient demands and expectations.
Frank:
Five years ago, people were a little less comfortable with a virtual interaction. We find that they're very comfortable with it today and really appreciate the convenience and ability to connect with a specialist. I think it really helps contribute to the confidence people have that they're doing the right thing for their healthcare.
Justin’s commentary:
As virtual care modalities have continued to level off (but not decline) following the COVID pandemic-driven spike, it really does show how patients have become comfortable with this option. It's just as easy to talk with a specialist provider in a different state as it is to speak with a family member living down the street.
Frank:
People are becoming much more active in terms of managing their health and being much more informed consumers of healthcare. But there still is a little reluctance. We hear people say, “Well, what will my local doctors say if they find that I'm getting a second opinion from Cleveland Clinic?” The flippant answer is, "Well, if your doctor is concerned about you getting a second opinion, maybe you should find another doctor.”
Justin’s commentary:
Ultimately, providers want what is best for their patients. If that means that a patient wants to confirm a diagnosis or seek an alternative provider, that's OK. Patients have the final say in their treatment, and additional opinions offer peace of mind more often than not. This trend has further normalized as providers have become increasingly specialized in their treatments and techniques.
Frank:
It truly is an emotional journey. If you realize that you've just recently been diagnosed with a serious health condition, it's overwhelming and generally most people don't know where to turn. They also don't know what questions to ask. We find that that as we're recruiting, training, and developing our nurse care managers, there is a certain breed of people who are really good at being empathetic, listening, and really helping people along the journey.
Justin’s commentary:
Ultimately, healthcare is human care, and we have all been patients at some point in our lives. Being emphatic and understanding a patient’s emotional needs is paramount in delivering care. Knowing emphatic care can still be delivered through virtual and digital channels is critical as we continue to expand how and where we serve patients’ needs.
Comments in this article were made in good faith based on statements that are publicly available and are not intended to imply any endorsement, promotion, or other affiliation between Praia Health and The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, Frank McGillin, or the Healthcare Rap Podcast.
