All your questions answered.

An independent second medical opinion is the assessment of an initial diagnosis or treatment plan by an independent physician, who is neither involved in the previous nor further treatment and can therefore act unbiased and impartial.

Doctors have varying treatment approaches, even when managing patients with the same diagnosis. Some physicians may take a more conservative approach, while others may prefer more aggressive treatment options. Finally, the patient and their family need to decide which approach works best for them. An independent medical expert provides unbiased and impartial additional information. This is not just another opinion, but the solid base to measure options and make the best health care decision.

Second medical opinions are always appropriate when there are doubts about the diagnosis or treatment recommendations by the primary treating doctor. Obtaining a second medical opinion is particularly appropriate before making serious health decisions, such as choosing a surgical intervention, a chemotherapy or any other treatments with risks or serious side effects.

TheKnowHow is linked to selected specialists, each with extensive expertise and years of experience in their fields. Through us you can access the best specialized experts in the field. TheKnowHow is not a tool for recruiting patients. Our experts are only tasked with providing a second medical opinion report; they are not involved in the treatment process. This ensures there is no hidden motive to recommend a costly procedure or intervention. Their independence and neutrality stand as one of the great advantages of our offer. With TheKnowHow, you can receive a comprehensive written second medical opinion report within just a few days, conveniently delivered over the internet. This eliminates the need for additional doctor appointments and travel, saving you time, effort, and expenses.

We do not offer remote diagnoses. The second opinions of our TKH experts are an excellent supplement to the on-site doctor’s visit, but do not replace it. Our specialists do not perform a remote diagnosis but provide an independent medical opinion report based on submitted medical data.

We will consider all independent second medical opinion requests in detail and select the most suitable specialist for every case. Our selection is based on the specialization and the experience of our experts regarding the specific diagnosis and questions. In addition, we take into account the best availability of our TKH experts.

Generally, it is possible to opt for more than one second opinion. Each additional request of a second opinion from another expert is counted as a new order and needs to be charged. The expertise of our selected experts can be trusted. Therefore, we strongly recommend opting for a maximum of two second opinions.

No, a doctor’s referral letter is not needed. But it makes sense to inform the primary doctor about the plan to have a second medical opinion. Usually, doctors want the best outcomes for their patients. For this reason, they generally will not be offended about the decision to get a second medical opinion.

To enable our TKH experts to do a thorough review, please submit: a doctor’s letter with the current diagnosis and the suggested treatment plan (obligatory); imaging files like X-ray, CT, MRI, echo, etc. (if relevant); lab results from blood, other body liquids, etc. (if relevant); pathology results (if relevant); any other documents relevant to your case. If any documents are missing after submission, we will be in contact and happy to support.

Every doctor is obliged to provide their patient with access to their medical records. Usually, doctors want the best outcomes for their patients, so they generally will not be offended by the request for medical records in order to get a second medical opinion.

Images can be submitted in their original format from the CDs provided by the hospital. Please ask for an anonymized version at your hospital.

The successful upload of the medical information is confirmed by email. Once the application for an independent second medical opinion is reviewed (within two working days), an invoice is sent.

All TKH experts are working internationally and therefore communicate in English. Submitted medical reports need to be in English. If you don’t speak English, we assist you to submit your records and receive your report in your language.

The independent second medical opinion report will be provided within a few working days after complete submission of all required data. For urgent cases please call our office on +971 52 683 3431 after submitting the data. We will take care of assigning a fast available expert. Please keep in mind that handling urgent cases may result in higher costs, and thorough processing by the expert requires some time.

Following the submission of all necessary medical documents, our experts will prepare the report within a few working days. They will inform TheKnowHow upon completion, and our office will promptly notify the applicant about the finished report.

TKH highly recommends handing over the independent second opinion report to the primary or another treating local doctor. The report will contain details of the recommended therapy, which are considered to support the treating doctor.

If any questions arise after receipt of the independent second medical opinion report, our TKH medical customer service is available to support.

The protection of your data is our highest priority. We strictly adhere to all relevant data protection laws and regulations. All data is encrypted upon receipt, anonymized for your security, and sent via encrypted channels.

Read our Privacy Policy

Personal data will only be collected and processed by TKH for the purpose of handling the independent second medical opinion request. We treat all personal data as strictly confidential and in compliance with all legal requirements. Personal data will only be passed anonymized to the TKH expert entrusted with answering and processing the respective independent second medical opinion request.

Read our Privacy Policy

The cost depends on the complexity, urgency, and health insurance. Please ask our office for individual guidance.

We have several payment options via Stripe, and payments can be made online with ease using a debit or credit card.

As soon as we have handed over the medical information and the request, our TheKnowHow experts start to work on the case. Therefore, a cancellation is only possible prior to our assignment process. In case of cancellation, please contact us immediately on +971 2 410 3537 or by email at info@theknowhow.ae.

Our Terms of Use can be viewed on our website.

Read our Terms of Use