Americans With Heart, Cancer Conditions Embrace Virtual Second Opinions

New data from The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic highlights virtual care trends by region, condition

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New data from The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, a leading provider of virtual second opinions (VSOs), reveals regional and condition-specific trends from patients using VSOs to apply world-class medical expertise to diagnoses and treatment plans. Americans with heart, cancer and neurological conditions led the nation in seeking VSOs in the 18-month period ending June 2024, underscoring the growing demand for skilled specialty care.

The national healthcare provider shortage has led to many “specialty care deserts” across the U.S.—especially in rural communities. For example, nearly half of all U.S. counties don’t have any practicing cardiologists, despite heart disease being a leading cause of death in the country. Additionally, the World Health Organization projects a 77% increase in new cancer cases in the coming years, while the American Society of Clinical Oncology reports a concerning shortage of oncologists.

Nationally, cardiology and cancer cases accounted for the largest share of patients seeking VSOs. Heart cases made up the majority of VSO volume in the South, West and Northeast, with about one-third of VSOs delivered for cardiology cases (32%) and one in five VSOs for cancer cases (20%).

In the Midwest, however, about 38% of virtual second opinions were related to cancer, and 21% were related to cardiology. This regional skew is influenced by The Clinic’s health plan partnerships in the Midwest, which focus on cancer diagnoses, among other conditions.

“Given the rise of chronic and life-threatening diseases in our country, it makes sense that patients are using digital tools to take their health into their own hands and access the specialty care they need,” said Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic. “Our analysis of recent cases not only offers a snapshot of our country’s primary health concerns, but also shows that when patients are granted access to the best care, they use it.”

Additional findings from the analysis include:

• 44% of cases were from the Midwest
• 24% of cases were from the South
• 18% of cases were from the Northeast
• 14% of cases were from the West
• After cancer and cardiac conditions, neurological, digestive, and urological and kidney concerns were the other most common areas for virtual second opinions.
• In the West, however, orthopedic and rheumatologic VSOs outranked urological and kidney VSOs among the most common case types.

The Clinic provides patients across the country with access to world-class specialty expertise to ensure their care is on the right path. Data shows that virtual second opinions save an average of $8,705 per patient, and are more likely to recommend an alternative treatment to surgery and lower hospitalization rates than patients’ initial care plans.

About The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic™

Each year, millions of Americans receive a life-changing healthcare diagnosis and face new, difficult or complex decisions about medical treatment. The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic was founded for these life-changing moments. As a leading provider of virtual second opinions, The Clinic believes that patients should never have to settle for anything less than a clear and confident path forward. A transformative joint venture between Cleveland Clinic and Amwell, The Clinic uses Amwell’s leading connectivity technologies to enable patients to access Cleveland Clinic’s deep and comprehensive medical expertise, including over 3,500 physicians in more than 550 advanced subspecialties. The Clinic offers fully secure video consultations, digital record collection and concierge-level service to patients, health plans and more. For more information about The Clinic, visit www.clinicbyclevelandclinic.com and follow on LinkedIn.