Online services let patients seek a second opinion from home

Online second-opinion services offer patients consultations from specialists based on the medical records that they fax, mail or send via the Internet. The average cost is $500 to $1,500, depending on the number of radiology or pathology interpretations required. Patients then receive online access to a second opinion in about two weeks. One company that offers the service is Partners Online Specialty Consultations. Since POSC went online in 2001, about 10,000 patients have taken advantage of the service.