Grand Rounds Announces Launch of ExpertLink in Partnership With Premier Health Care Institutions

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - November 19, 2015) - Grand Rounds, Inc., the leader in identifying high-quality health care providers and connecting patients with these physicians, today announced the launch of ExpertLink™, its platform that allows leading U.S. health systems to offer remote expert consults to patients worldwide.

"About 20 percent of patients -- more than 50 percent in specialties like oncology -- seek medical second opinions. Yet due to geographic constraints and other barriers, many patients are unable to receive a second opinion from a top specialist, impeding their ability to get the most accurate diagnosis and an optimal treatment plan," said Dr. Lawrence "Rusty" Hofmann, co-founder, Grand Rounds. "Even when patients are able to access a second opinion, the specialist often lacks complete patient information, leading to incomplete advice or wasted specialist time."

With ExpertLink, institutions are able to connect patients to an expert who is optimally qualified for each case. Through end-to-end support delivered by its physician-led care team, Grand Rounds streamlines the process by collecting medical records, coordinating care, and providing clinical triage and summary. Grand Rounds also manages appointment booking and insurance compatibility for patients who will continue their care with the institution. These capabilities make it easy for top institutions to engage and treat patients most in need of the institution's specialist expertise.

New York's Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), with its specialization in orthopedic surgery and treatment of rheumatologic conditions, has also partnered with Grand Rounds to power its eConsult platform enabling greater access to its state-of-the-art care.

"Patients travel to HSS from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries, but until now our expertise has been inaccessible to those unable to travel," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO, Hospital for Special Surgery. "HSS eConsult, in partnership with Grand Rounds, brings the best in the world to anywhere in the world. Peace of mind is now just a few clicks away."

Boston Children's Hospital, which recently announced its Grand Rounds ExpertLink partnership, is deploying the platform to extend the reach and impact of its world-class pediatric care.

"The ExpertLink platform offers an additional path for patients to receive high quality pediatric care, even if they are located far away and are unable to travel to Boston," said Steven Fishman, MD, president, Physician's Organization at Boston Children's. "Parents with children who suffer from complex diseases can now go to our website and in a matter of days receive a second opinion on their child's diagnosis or treatment plan."

"Across the numerous employer patient populations that utilize our platform, we have seen more than two-thirds of cases with a major change in treatment plan and diagnosis and an average savings of $10,000 per case," said Dr. Hofmann. "That speaks volumes to the importance of connecting patients -- directly or virtually -- with the specialist best able to address their unique needs."

Grand Rounds recently announced an additional $55 million in venture capital funding. The company's services are available in 117 countries anytime via phone, secure web portal and a proprietary mobile application. Over 50 companies, ranging from high growth start-ups to Fortune 50 companies, offer Grand Rounds as a benefit to their employees.

About Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds provides a platform that delivers improved clinical outcomes for patients while reducing care delivery inefficiencies. It does this through an end-to-end solution that connects patients with highly specialized care that is informed by the latest and best practices -- preventing and correcting misdiagnoses, unnecessary and failed treatments. Founded in 2011, Grand Rounds helps restore individual health and quality of life, and benefits employers by facilitating decreased health care cost and increased employee productivity. For more information, please visit grandrounds.com.