FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What is friendMD?

friendMD is your personal guide to making important medical treatment choices. When you or a loved one receives a serious diagnosis, you’ll want to understand that condition, learn about the most current and well-documented treatments, and feel confident deciding which ones are right for you.

To do that, we will use our experience, expertise and network of connections to consult the most respected experts in a specific disease or condition. We will read and analyze the latest scientific data from published studies and ongoing clinical trials, and personally contact the authors of the studies and investigators of the trials.

We may also consult experts called “key opinion leaders” (KOLs), who represent the latest and best thinking on the treatment of your condition. We interview them, either in person or by teleconference, about successful treatments and trends, and how this information could apply to your condition. Finally, we will prepare a detailed report with these findings, including a list of references for you to share with your family and physicians.

Q. I have heard of concierge medicine. Is this a form of concierge medicine?

Concierge medicine (also known as retainer medicine) is generally a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. This may or may not be in addition to other charges. In exchange for the retainer, doctors provide enhanced care, including principally a commitment to limit the number of patients to ensure adequate time and availability for each patient. friendMD is not a primary care physician and does not treat patients.

There is another aspect of concierge medicine which helps patients identify and get appointments with leading physicians. On occasion friendMD might help identify a physician—though this is not our primary focus. Our primary focus is helping patients understand treatment options and identify the best option for them, including clinical studies.

Q. Can I do this myself?

Some people can. They have family or friends with a strong medical or scientific background or medical contacts. We have also all heard of people who have become experts in a disease and aggressively manage their condition. However, many people, without proper training and resources, can find this process overwhelming. There is a huge amount of information available, some not accurate and some not relevant to their condition. It is essential to be trained to critically evaluate and analyze the information and have access to the authors, investigators and thought leaders. Personally targeted and timely information allows people to make the most informed medical decisions.

Q. Isn’t there just one “way” to treat disease?

Medicine is an art and a science. Standards and protocols can vary, even within the top-tier hospitals. It’s not unusual to find top hospitals, even within the same geographic area, applying different standards of treatment . treatment. In addition, medical knowledge, especially for chronic, serious diseases, increases exponentially. There are 28,000 medical journals and 1.8 million articles published annually and currently 184,000 clinical trials being conducted. The challenge is to find the right treatment for your case.

Q. What happens first? How do we get started?

We start with a complimentary consultation, in person or by phone, depending on where you live. Of course, you may include family members or friends who are involved in your care. We’ll spend about an hour to discuss your diagnosis and go over relevant test or laboratory results. From there, we’ll determine how we can be of help and whether you want to use our services. If so, we’ll begin working on your case right away.

Q. What is the cost and scope of your services?

After we have our first meeting and agree to move forward, the cost is $6500 paid in full at the time of signing. It represents a significant time commitment being set aside for you. When the work is done, you’ll receive a detailed summary which may include any or all of the following:

An explanation and assessment of your disease or condition Recommendations for medications or therapies that have well-documented effectiveness Summaries of published studies or clinical trials with their results A list of current clinical trials for which you may be eligible Information on physicians and hospitals that specialize in treating your condition

(sometimes referred to as “centers of excellence”)

The report will be sent in hard copy and electronically. Following your receipt of the report, our services also include:

A one-hour meeting or conference call to go over the report and recommendations, with you and all involved family members (please invite whoever needs to hear the information first-hand)

A conference call with your physician and other healthcare professionals involved in your care to answer any questions and discuss our recommendations

A follow-up call anytime during or after your treatment

Beyond that, you can call upon additional services as needed, and we will estimate together the time and cost it may require.

In addition, we may think it’s in your best interest that we speak with a key opinion leader. In that case, there may be an extra expense as they normally are paid an “honorarium” for their time and expertise. If there is an extra cost, we will alert you in advance. Please be assured, if we pursue a KOL it is because we believe that their knowledge is critical to your treatment. The time spent interviewing the KOL is covered by our original agreement.

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Q. Are your services covered by insurance?

Unfortunately, they are not.

Q. Will you work with my insurance company to get coverage for the procedures you recommend?

Insurance coverage is something you will need to take care of, working with the physicians and hospitals you will be using. They will know best how to obtain the coverage and authorizations you need. You should also know that taking part in most clinical trials usually has little or no cost to you.

Q. Do I use you instead of a second opinion?

Although we have a detailed discussion about your condition, we do not perform physical exams or any laboratory, imaging or other diagnostic tests; therefore our services do not substitute for a second opinion from a healthcare professional. We believe the most effective way to use our recommendations is to present them to your primary physician, specialists, or any other healthcare professionals you may be seeing, to discuss with them. After that, if either you or they have questions, we will be happy to continue the discussion, in the second teleconference mentioned earlier.

Q. Do I have to follow your advice?

Our information is just that—advice—to help you make the most informed decisions possible. It is up to you, your family and your physicians to consider the options presented, and whether to act on them or not.

Q. What if we have questions along the way, or need to consult you again?

That is the follow-up phone call covered in the original agreement.

Once we’ve worked together, you are welcome to contact us anytime you need more advice, or simply to check in. We want to know how you are doing. We also would like the option of contacting you (at no charge) if a new medication, therapy or study comes to our attention that we think you should know about. At that time, as stated earlier, we can discuss together how much additional time exploring any new options may take.

There should be no surprises in this process. Your sense of comfort and confidence is critical to getting through successfully what is a difficult time. We wish you the very best, and hope we’ll be hearing from you soon.

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