What is it?

It is the evaluation of a patient by a medical professional (other than the attending physician), through reviewing his or her clinical history, to confirm a diagnosis or treatment under certain particularly severe circumstances.

It is different from a reference or a change of doctor, and it is limited to certain specific cases, i.e., specific diagnosis or prescribed treatments.

In Catalonia, the right to a second opinion is regulated by Decree 125/2007, of June 2007.You can check out more details on the CatSalut web page (language: catalan).

 

How do you request it?

Contact the People Service Unit at the centre where your illness has been diagnosed or your treatment prescribed. They will provide you with information and a form for you to complete, and they will process your request.Depending on the illness, you can indicate what reference centre you would like to issue a second opinion.

The request is sent to CatSalut, which will either accept or reject it based on whether it meets the requirements under Decree 125/2007.

Contact information for the People Service Unit for the Germans Trias Hospital is:

• Telephone:93 497 89 03 / 93 497 84 04
• email:atencioalciutada.germanstrias@gencat.cat

 

Resolution

• If the second medical opinion confirms the diagnosis or treatment, you will continue to be treated at the original centre.
• If the second medical opinion varies, you can be treated at the centre that has issued the second opinion, if you so decide.