Florida Tops Regional Demand for Virtual Second Opinions

Focus on cardiac and neurological conditions illuminates need to access specialized expertise

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An analysis of recent case data by The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, a leading provider of virtual second opinions (VSOs), has found that Florida residents lead the South in seeking virtual second opinions, pursuing specialist expertise for heart and brain conditions more than any other diagnoses.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, leading to 1 in every 5 deaths in 2022. Florida ranks 37^th in the nation for the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, according to America’s Health Rankings, with nearly 10% of Florida adults reporting ever being told by a health professional they had angina or coronary heart disease, a heart attack or myocardial infarction, or a stroke.

“Despite the prevalence of heart disease in Florida and nationwide, accessing expert care can be challenging,” said Jerry Estep, MD, a cardiologist with Cleveland Clinic, who practices at Weston Hospital in Weston, Fla. “It’s vital that patients who live in communities without sufficient cardiology resources, or who have difficulty traveling for specialty care, have options to access expert care virtually. I’m not surprised to see residents seeking our trusted physicians through The Clinic when they need a second opinion for a heart condition.”

The data, which included all The Clinic’s VSO cases from January 2023 through June 2024, found that Florida ranks sixth in the nation for VSO usage and leads the southern region by volume. Florida patients sought VSOs for conditions in these top five specialty areas:

• 41% Cardiology
• 20% Neurology
• 10% Orthopaedics and rheumatology
• 10% Cancer
• 9% Urology and kidney

“The beauty of our virtual program is that we can take the best experts from any specialty and put them right in your living room, making national specialists feel like local providers,” said Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic. “As virtual care continues rising in demand for patients who can’t or won’t travel, I think we’ll continue to see more usage across specialties in Florida and around the country.”

Analyses of virtual second opinions have found that two-thirds of VSOs result in a recommended diagnosis or treatment plan change and are more likely to recommend less invasive treatments and lowered hospitalization rates compared to initial diagnoses. Data shows that VSOs likewise save an average of $8,705 per patient.

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.