An estimated 90% of health conditions need specialty care. Specialty care extends beyond that provided by a primary care doctor or general practitioner — making specialists fundamental to healthcare delivery. Specialists provide care across all health conditions, from everyday things like allergies to complex and serious diagnoses like cancer. Summus transforms access to specialty care by helping connect our members to the right specialist, virtually, across any health question or concern they may have.
There are times when you need to see a doctor in person. And with such a broad spectrum of health concerns, finding the right specialist to see is challenging. People want to see the best doctor who can provide high quality care, has available in-person appointments, is in network, and is near where they live. This task may seem overwhelming and unattainable.
Healthcare is complex and confusing as it is. The task of finding the right specialist on your own is difficult. More than 40% of provider directories have inaccurate information, and often have a four week wait to see a specialist. It’s hard to know what to do, where to go, and who to see. You may ask yourself:
- “Where do I start?”
- “What do I look for in a good specialist?”
- “How do I know if my insurance will cover the physician I want to see?”
Our team of Summus MDs trained in adult, pediatric, and emergency medicine, along with our expertly trained member concierge team, quickly guide members to the right specialist. Knowing the right specialist to see gives members a clear path forward in their care. Summus helps members by providing a personalized list of specialists who are right for them. Summus also takes into account member preferences for a specialist, including gender, experience or languages spoken by the doctor.
Getting to the right specialist
With a symptom such as back pain, the right specialist might be an orthopedist, neurologist, rheumatologist or others. Understanding the source of the pain or symptom is critical in getting to the right specialist. That’s why we start with a Summus MD. Summus MDs ensure that members are finding the right specialist based on their specific health condition or concern, which helps members avoid false starts and a disjointed healthcare experience. Disjointed healthcare experiences often result in greater cost, lower quality visits, and reduced patient satisfaction. With physician-led clinical guidance and direction from Summus MDs, members have a clear path forward in their treatment, whether more tests with their primary care provider, or heading straight to a high quality specialist.
Prioritizing quality care and member preferences
Once the Summus MD identifies the right specialist to see, our concierge team does the work of researching specialists to provide a personalized list. The list is curated from dynamic interactions with the member, where the concierge team learns their preferences. The concierge team then provides members with recommendations for high quality specialists in their location, who accept their insurance and have availability. This saves members an average of 15 hours of time spent researching.
Helping find the right specialist for you
Our virtual specialty care network of more than 5,100 leading specialists from the 50+ top academic medical centers provides clinical expertise, navigation support, and guidance across all medical specialties. And, when in person care is needed, we’re ready to assist by providing a personalized list of the best specialists in the member’s community. We’re here for members in the moments that matter most. Read more about Summus personalized provider referrals.
