Attitude toward second opinions in Germany - a survey of the general population.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Second medical opinions (SOs) can assist patients in making informed treatment decisions and improve the understanding of their diagnosis. In Germany, there are different approaches to obtain a structured SO procedure: SO programs by health insurers and SOs according to the SO Directive. Through a direct survey of the population, we aimed to assess how structured SOs should be provided to fulfil patients' needs.

Methods

A stratified sample of 9990 adults (≥18 years) living in the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg (Germany) were initially contacted by post in April and sent a reminder in May 2020. The survey results were analyzed descriptively.

Results

Among 1349 participants (response rate 14%), 56% were female and the median age was 58 years (interq

SUBMITTER: Konsgen N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8760563 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature