Duke physicians can provide expert insight on your health question or medical concern. A remote second opinion (RSO) can help you secure the right diagnosis before pursuing a treatment plan, avoid unnecessary procedures or surgeries, optimize treatment paths, and give you confidence that you are making fully informed decisions about your health. A written remote second opinion provides you, and your treating physician, access to the expertise of Duke physicians. Your treating physician will also receive a copy of the second opinion report.

Please be aware that the second opinion is not intended for use in any legal dispute including but not limited to litigation, arbitration, claim for disability benefits, and claim for worker’s compensation and/or malpractice claims without the prior written consent of Duke.

Please note that the form of communication is a written report. The specialist will provide you with a detailed written second opinion. Video or phone calls are not supported in the RSO process.

If you would prefer an in-person appointment at Duke rather than a remote written second opinion, please utilize the Find a Doctor tool to find the right specialist for your needs.

Patients who are hospitalized often have frequent clinical changes that prevent the specialist from being able to give up-to-date and relevant advice in a remote written format. For that reason, we do not provide expert opinions for patients who are currently hospitalized or in an intensive care unit.

If you or the person you are requesting an opinion for becomes hospitalized during the RSO process, your dedicated Summus Partner can temporarily pause the RSO process until the patient is discharged and stabilized or refund the case as is appropriate.

Each state has different laws and regulations regarding a physician’s ability to provide second opinions to a patient if that physician is not licensed in the state. At this time, Duke Health does not provide remote second opinions through this program to international patients, or to people living in Tennessee and Michigan.

If you live in North Carolina and wish to receive a second opinion, we recommend scheduling a video visit or in-person visit to seek care by calling 919-429-8722 and using Duke Health’s Find a Doctor tool to find the right doctor for your needs.

Insurance carriers typically do not reimburse for remote second opinions, but in certain cases some costs may be covered. We recommend that you contact your insurance company to confirm the details of your coverage. We accept all major credit cards. Depending on your health plan rules, you may use money from your Health Spending Account (HSA) and/or your Flex Spending Account (FSA) for reimbursement – confirm with your carrier for use prior to completing payment. Please also note, we are unable to provide you with a coded bill of service (CPT).

If you would like to verify which insurance plans Duke Health accepts, please click here.

A remote second opinion from Duke costs $1,500. This includes the written report prepared by a Duke specialist that will be provided to your treating physician. You will receive a copy of the opinion and benefit from the services provided by the Summus team, which include guidance and support, medical records collection, and physician selection.

We provide remote second opinions for nearly every health concern in children and adults, including all types of cancer, organ transplants, heart disease, total joint replacement, and other orthopaedic conditions. This program is available across most diagnoses and medical conditions. See some of our specialties offered below:

· Cancer
· Pediatrics
· Cardiology
· Primary Care - Internal Medicine
· Cell Therapy and Hematologic Malignancies
· Radiation Oncology
· Dermatology
· Rheumatology
· Gastroenterology
· Surgery
· Neurosurgery
· Transplant
· Obstetrics and Gynecology
· Urology
· Ophthalmology
· Head and Neck Surgery
· Orthopaedic
· Speech Pathology and Audiology

Your Summus Partner will contact you within one business day of your remote second opinion request. Your Summus Partner will speak with you to obtain your medical history and the details of your current diagnosis, gather and organize all pertinent medical records on your behalf, and match you with an appropriate Duke specialist for a remote second opinion.

Your assigned Summus Partner will manage the transfer of your medical records and coordinate the details of your remote second opinion within the secure Summus platform. Your Summus Partner will remain in regular contact with you throughout the remote second opinion process.

Summus will determine which Duke specialist is best suited for your case based on the nature of your second opinion request.

The remote second opinion process generally takes 10 to 14 business days; however, variations in timelines may occur based on department capacity and specialty. If your request is urgent, kindly inform your Summus Partner, and they will make every effort to accommodate your needs. Please be mindful that if you anticipate needing the opinion before an upcoming treatment or procedure, we may not be able to guarantee timely delivery.

Once all background information and medical records are received and the Duke specialist prepares a written report, your Summus Partner will deliver the report to you and your treating physician(s) via email with a secure link to view the written opinion in the Summus platform. You can download the opinion.

No. You remain in full control of your healthcare decisions. The remote second opinion report is intended to provide a recommended treatment and care plan. After you receive your second opinion, we urge you to schedule time with your treating physician to review the findings and recommendations and discuss your treatment plan. Your Summus Partner will also follow up with you within one business day of your receipt of the report.

No. A physical examination is not part of the remote second opinion process. The Duke specialist will carefully review all materials collected by Summus and will note in the final opinion if there are limitations to the opinion based on the inability to conduct a physical exam and/or if an in-person visit is necessary to confirm or finalize your diagnosis. If you do decide to come to Duke for treatment, you will receive a thorough physical examination.

Due to medical licensing and liability regulations, you will not be able to speak directly to the Duke specialist. If you and/or your treating physician have outstanding questions regarding superficial details of the opinion, you may discuss them with a Summus clinician. A Summus clinician can assist with superficial questions concerning the opinion and defining terms, but will not be able to provide a diagnosis or care plan recommendation. Upon review and determined appropriate by a Summus clinician, the Summus team may request the Duke specialist to provide additional details to substantive clinical questions regarding the opinion.

Duke does not replace the relationship you have with your primary care doctor or other treating physician(s). The goal of every written second opinion is to have an informed next step so you can move forward with confidence. Generally, treating doctors are very open to receiving expertise from leading physicians in their field.

The process is easy:

Step 1 — Request an opinion here. You’ll be asked to provide some information about your health. A one-time credit card payment is required and covers all the services described below. Please note: a Duke Remote Second Opinion is not typically covered by health insurance. You may use money from your Health Spending Account (HSA) and/or your Flex Spending Account (FSA) for reimbursement – confirm with your carrier prior to use.

Step 2 — Your Summus Partner and Clinician will help gather the requested documentation from your treating physician as well as your medical records. They can also answer any questions you might have throughout the process.

Step 3 — Receive a comprehensive written opinion from a Duke specialist. It will include a recommended course of treatment and a care plan.

Yes. You can reach out to your Summus Partner to initiate the scheduling process, and a Duke Health representative will contact you to schedule your appointment. If you do choose to seek treatment at Duke, many of the physicians on our medical staff accept insurance, so we encourage you to visit this website to learn more about insurance coverage.

Yes, all your activity with Duke Health and Summus is fully confidential. Your health information will be handled with utmost discretion. We will store your case-related medical records in the platform and share them with your consulting Duke specialist only with your consent. Your information will not be shared with any other party without your authorization.

Summus supports the technology platform that will help facilitate your remote second opinion. You will use the Summus platform to request your second opinion and access all information related to your active and past opinions.

The Summus team will also help guide you through the remote second opinion process. A dedicated team of Summus Partner and Summus Clinician will help collect medical records relevant to your diagnosis, select the right Duke specialist to review your case, and help answer any questions you may have along the way.