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Medical second opinions are fast becoming a standard patient request as a part of a critical diagnosis. Medicare encourages patients to receive a second opinion before a life-changing treatment or invasive surgery. Malpractice insurance carriers encourage second opinions to lower their risk. The Cleveland Clinic reported that the market for second opinions is expected to more than double from 2019, reaching seven billion dollars by 2024.

In the US, regulation of the practice medicine is a state prerogative. Based upon one of the earliest precepts of the establishment of the federal government in the United States, states retain the power to regulate much of what occurs solely within their borders. Physicians are licensed in the state in which they practice and must adhere to that state's mandates. So, can a physician legally serve a patient in need of their specialty if they reside outside of their jurisdiction?

In this series of blogs, Translating Healthcare, we will highlight and break down the meaning of phrases and terminology that are increasingly used, but not always widely understood. Today, we'll be unpacking the definitions of synchronous and asynchronous and examples of how they apply to the medical world. 

Synchronous vs Asynchronous

On a basic level it might be clear that these two words refer to opposing things and have something to do with time… but how does their meaning they apply to healthcare?

Second opinions are, in the words of many within the healthcare industry, essential in the case of critical illness and should be the right of every patient. Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover or even require an in-person second opinion consultation with a specialist prior to treatment. Medicare even pays for a third opinion if the second opinion differs significantly from the first.