OBJECTIVE: A second medical opinion can aid in the investigation of a health problem as well as in the definition of the therapeutic approach. The present study is aimed at demonstrating a process of second medical opinion by means of a web-based multispecialty system adapted for radiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The system was utilized by 49 residents at Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil, who gave their medical opinion on 52 second opinion requests. Questionnaires were utilized as an evaluation tool. RESULTS: A total of 1704 medical second opinions were evaluated and 514 (29.1%) of them were defined as satisfactory. In 64.4% of cases, the answers of the questionnaires indicated that the images quality did not affect the diagnosis. On average, 6 minutes and 26 seconds was the time required to issue a remote second medical opinion. CONCLUSION: A process of second medical opinion by means of a web-based multispecialty system adapted for radiology has shown to be an excellent tool in the management of therapeutic approaches. Keywords: Telemedicine; Remote consultation; Referral and consultation; Radiology; Imaging diagnosis.OBJETIVO: A segunda opinião médica pode auxiliar no processo de investigação do problema de saúde de um paciente e na definição da conduta terapêutica. Este trabalho tem por objetivo demonstrar um processo de segunda opinião médica por meio de um sistema web multiespecialidades adaptado para a radiologia. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: O sistema foi utilizado por 49 médicos residentes da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, os quais responderam a 52 solicitações de segunda opinião. Como instrumentos de avaliação foram utilizados questionários. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliadas 1.704 respostas de segunda opinião. Deste total, 514 (29,1%) foram definidas como satisfatórias. Em 64,4% as respostas dos questionários indicaram que a qualidade das imagens não comprometeu o diagnóstico. O tempo médio para emitir a segunda opinião remota foi de 6 minutos e 26 segundos. CONCLUSÃO: O processo de segunda opinião médica realizado por intermédio de um sistema web multiespecialidades ajustado para a radiologia pode ser uma excelente ferramenta para o manejo das condutas médicas. Unitermos: Telemedicina; Consulta remota; Referência e consulta; Radiologia; Diagnóstico por imagem. In Brazil, experiments with remote second medical opinion have been reported, as in the case of Hospital Sírio-Libanês, which has developed a joint project with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from New York and BH-Telessaúde, with telemedicine activities in the areas of medicine, nursing and odontology (4,5) .The present study is aimed at describing a second medical opinion process by means of the use of a web-based multispecialty system adapted for radiology.
MATERIALS AND METHODSIn the present study, the requesting physician is defined as the one who asks for the second medical opinion while the physician providing the second opinion is the radiologist. Normally, the requesting phy- Telemedicine has been utilized as a relevant tool i...