Best Doctors Tackling High Misdiagnosis Rate in Cancer Cases
Company taking on record number of cases in 2011, earning industry recognition.
Boston, Massachusetts, June 2, 2011 – Best Doctors, the global company dedicated to helping people and their treating doctors get the right diagnosis and right treatment, announced it is tackling a record number of cancer cases this year, including numerous cases that were initially misdiagnosed. Given that overall cancer-related diagnostic error rates have been found to be as high as 44 percent, according to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the news is significant.
“It’s common knowledge that the health care system is overburdened, but the real issue is people not getting the right care,” noted Evan Falchuk, president and CSO of Best Doctors. “With over 1.5 million cancer cases reported in the U.S. alone last year, diagnostic errors become an even graver issue. The misdiagnoses and faulty treatments so often occurring throughout the world mean too many people just aren’t getting the right treatment and right diagnosis.”
Best Doctors experts, ranked among the top 5 percent in their 40 specialty and 400 subspecialty fields, are getting to the root of the problem by understanding and lending their knowledge about the correct diagnoses of a wide variety of conditions, including cancers. By understanding a condition’s many intricacies and taking the guesswork out of important medical decisions, this top-tier class of doctors is saving lives in all the major regions of the world.
“Our doctors’ approach is key,” said Best Doctors CEO David Seligman. “They’re taking the time to examine every piece of a person’s medical history, and then applying their expertise in the patient’s particular condition. By doing so, they are dramatically improving health care quality, reducing waste of health care dollars – and saving lives in the process.”
In related news, Best Doctors was recognized last night for its ongoing cancer-related work at the 2011 Ogilvy Cares Cancer Gala in New York City. Event proceeds benefitted CancerCare, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free, professional services to anyone affected by cancer.
Additionally, Seligman recently was named to the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer program, an elite partnership among chief executives of leading businesses, which represents millions of workers worldwide in efforts to enhance intellectual exchange and develop future diverse cancer-fighting solutions. Best Doctors also was featured this spring in The Northeast Business Group on Health’s “Addressing Cancer in the Workplace” series, geared toward supporting employees with high-quality, best-care treatments.
In upcoming news, the just-launched Best Doctors Foundation will be a proud sponsor of the 2011 “Jimmy Fund Fantasy Day at Fenway” this summer. An always-popular highlight for Red Sox fans of all ages since its 1992 launch, the fund has raised nearly $6 million to support cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber. Best Doctors will sponsor two children battling cancer for an activity-filled day at Fenway Park among thousands of devoted Red Sox fans. A dozen Best Doctors employees already have signed on to support the special event.
“When we say we’re strongly committed to the continuing fight against cancer, we don’t just talk the talk,” Falchuk added. “This has been one of our core areas of focus at Best Doctors, and will continue to be until a cure is found.”
About Best Doctors
Founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School professors, Best Doctors, Inc. serves more than 25 million members around the world. By focusing on people and their doctors and seamlessly integrating its trusted services with employers’ other health-related benefits, Best Doctors is transforming health care around the globe. In addition to this clinical advocacy, Best Doctors designs and implements insurance programs that help people be sure they get the right care. For further information, visit Best Doctors at www.bestdoctors.com, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.