Jan Weyerstraß1, Barbara Prediger1, Edmund Neugebauer2, Dawid Pieper3. 1. Institut für Forschung in der Operativen Medizin (IFOM), Universität Witten/Herdecke, Köln, Deutschland. 2. Institut für Forschung in der Operativen Medizin (IFOM), Universität Witten/Herdecke, Köln, Deutschland; Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane (MHB), Neuruppin, Deutschland. 3. Institut für Forschung in der Operativen Medizin (IFOM), Universität Witten/Herdecke, Köln, Deutschland. Electronic address: dawid.pieper@uni-wh.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although legally anchored, there are no empirical results from German second opinion programs. In this study, various aspects within a population of a second opinion program are examined. METHODS: In this study patients were analyzed who sought a second opinion in the period from August 2011 to December 2016. Differences in patient characteristics, differentiated by agreement of first and second opinion, were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Patients' satisfaction and quality of life were examined one, three and six months after obtaining the second opinion. RESULTS: In total, 1,414 patients sought a second opinion. Most frequently, second opinions were sought on knee (38.7 %), back (26.8 %), hip (11.7 %), and shoulder (10.2 %) complaints. Except for the indication (p=0.035), no patient characteristic had influence on the conformation of the second opinion. Approximately two out of three initial recommendations were not confirmed by the specialists. 89 % of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the second opinion and the service offered. CONCLUSIONS: The second opinion offers patients the opportunity to seek an additional independent medical opinion and thus provides support for decision making. Further research is needed to examine the reasons for the high discrepancies between the first and second opinions.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although legally anchored, there are no empirical results from German second opinion programs. In this study, various aspects within a population of a second opinion program are examined. METHODS: In this study patients were analyzed who sought a second opinion in the period from August 2011 to December 2016. Differences in patient characteristics, differentiated by agreement of first and second opinion, were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Patients' satisfaction and quality of life were examined one, three and six months after obtaining the second opinion. RESULTS: In total, 1,414 patients sought a second opinion. Most frequently, second opinions were sought on knee (38.7 %), back (26.8 %), hip (11.7 %), and shoulder (10.2 %) complaints. Except for the indication (p=0.035), no patient characteristic had influence on the conformation of the second opinion. Approximately two out of three initial recommendations were not confirmed by the specialists. 89 % of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the second opinion and the service offered. CONCLUSIONS: The second opinion offers patients the opportunity to seek an additional independent medical opinion and thus provides support for decision making. Further research is needed to examine the reasons for the high discrepancies between the first and second opinions.
Authors: Dunja Bruch; Susann May; Barbara Prediger; Nadja Könsgen; Alexander Alexandrov; Sonja Mählmann; Karl Voß; Sebastian Liersch; Jan-Christoph Loh; Bernd Christensen; Achim Franzen; Sebastian von Peter; Dawid Pieper; Cecile Ronckers; Edmund Neugebauer Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-02-10 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Nadja Könsgen; Barbara Prediger; Anna Schlimbach; Ana-Mihaela Bora; Simone Hess; Michael Caspers; Dawid Pieper Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2022-01-15 Impact factor: 2.655