Expert Second Opinion for Rare Diseases

• Grant number: 24/22679-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Domingos Alves
• Grantee: Vinicius Costa Lima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/10203-8 - Promoting Comprehensive Care for People with Rare Diseases: Strengthening the Care, Registration and Awareness Network at Hospital das Clínicas in Ribeirão Preto, AP.PP

Abstract

The provision of healthcare and the reach of care networks can be expanded through the use of information and communication technologies. The second expert opinion represents an essential resource for assertive diagnosis and treatment in the context of rare diseases, for which there is often little evidence. Added to this is the lack of adequate human and technological resources in many healthcare services. Through a socio-technical approach, where the active involvement of healthcare professionals and scientific evidence will be crucial, a Second Opinion platform for rare diseases will be developed. The aim is to provide asynchronous and synchronous mechanisms for submitting questions and queries about medical procedures and for discussing complex cases by pairs of specialists. Thus, it is expected not only to facilitate access to services for patients with rare diseases, but also to significantly increase the problem-solving capacity of healthcare professionals.