As purveyors of the second opinion platform, Expert View, we often get the question: "What’s the difference between using a concierge led second opinion program and establishing my own?"

There is really no wrong answer - they are just different. But it behooves any organization that wants to expand or establish a second opinion program to understand the differences to know what’s best for you. 

A Concierge-Led Second Opinion Program

1. Becoming a node on a growing network:
   When a hospital or provider “sign up” so to speak with a concierge organization, you become a node on their network of providers. When they have a member dealing with a disease that you specialize in, they might reach out, share the case, and ask for an opinion. The more providers the concierge has in the network, the more value they bring to their members. As that network grows, the cases naturally become more divided amongst its providers. You might see a few cases per month, every few months, or every six months depending..
2. Cases shared amongst the network.
   Sometimes that same patient case is shared with multiple institutions. It’s the concierge’s job to find the most suitable treatment for their patient, and there are many factors that influence this. The result is usually a low or sometimes even non-existent conversion rate, due to cases going to multiple providers, creating a lower chance of conversion to you. However, physicians are compensated when they review a concierge case and so those who are interested in providing this service appreciate the extra compensation.
3. It's about the membership, not driving traffic to your brand.
   As mentioned, a concierge would like many providers on their network so their members have plenty of access. Their primary responsibility is to their membership, not promoting a hospital brand or driving patients to their specialties. It's just not their focus and it’s not their business.
   
   

1. Using your own dedicated "virtual front door" increases traffic:
   Successful online second opinion programs embed call to actions right on the website, on landing pages, micro-sites, physician pages, the main web navigation, and so forth, creating a dedicated channel for case initiation. They tie into your organization’s goals and marketing strategies. All of This makes a huge difference because it opens access to anyone that fits the hospitals' acceptance criteria, increasing traffic that is entirely dedicated to your hospital's specialties and physicians.
2. Conversions are generally higher.
   When patients or their referring physician seek you out and initiate an opinion right from your website, they’re coming directly to you for a reason.  It is very rare that we see a patient or their physician go to even more than one institution. The result is that you see a much higher conversion rate. Instead of a few or zero conversions, you now see closer to 1 in 5 patients or more following up for in person treatment or procedures. Physicians who specialize in rare diseases or complex conditions especially appreciate being matched with a broader patient population because they know that not all of their cases are concentrated locally.
   
   
3. YOUR brand is the focus.
   When second opinions are initiated directly from your website, it becomes your brand that reaches new geographies, new patient populations, and new referring physicians. You establish your own virtual front door that extends access to patients who may not have access locally, while also establishing a new revenue stream with serious growth potential and a wider geographic footprint for your hospital’s brand. 
   
   

In conclusion, if you’re looking for extra cases on occasion that are completely handled by concierge, where your physicians have the opportunity to moonlight, concierge might be a good fit. If you’re looking for a program that is dedicated to opening access to your specialties and extends your brand to new geographies, consider getting serious about establishing your own branded online second opinion program. By the way, there is no reason you can’t have both channels going simultaneously if your physicians are willing and able. They are just bringing different benefits to the institution..

Want to know how you can get started with your own program?
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Questions? Reach out to us.
Our team is happy to share our research and experience.