For many serious conditions faced by older adults, a first diagnosis requires an in-person specialty care visit. But for a second opinion, more seniors should be taking advantage of virtual care options, a new survey suggests.
Although 71% of people with serious health condition diagnoses are open to a second opinion, less than half of that group ends up doing so, according to a new report from the Clinic by Cleveland Clinic.
For older adults grappling with severe or potentially life-threatening diagnoses such as cancer and heart failure, obtaining a secondary corroboration is essential. Unfortunately, misdiagnoses and over/under diagnoses are common for older adults, studies show.
Over/under diagnoses were greater than 10% for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia, which have major senior living and care implications. According to the federal government 45.6% of nursing home residents and 42.1% of assisted living residents were living with dementia in 2020.
“In the case of a life-altering diagnosis when every moment counts, a delay in getting an appointment or a lack of access to specialty care can change the course of a patient’s future,” Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement. “ Creating a faster, more convenient way for patients to obtain that specialized care not only goes a long way in ensuring peace of mind, but also in improving outcomes.”
When artificial intelligence was thrown into the mix, 38% of survey respondents said they’d be less likely to trust a second opinion, or even use it. The use of AI in healthcare diagnostics is growing but still can be controversial due to issues around biases or clinicians becoming overly reliant on the AI findings.
Approximately half the respondents to the Clinic by Cleveland Clinic survey said that travel concerns and expenses were major motivators in seeking virtual care options.
Over the past year, state and federal agencies have worked to try and expand telehealth services for older adults. At least 60 US senators are supporting a bipartisan bill, the CONNECT for Health Act of 2023, which would make pandemic-era telehealth access permanent, the McKnight’s Tech Daily reported last summer; the bill has yet to pass out of committee.
The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic report is available for download here.
