If your child has been diagnosed with a condition managed by a pediatric nephrologist, you want to ensure they are getting the best possible treatment for their specific condition.

The Division of Nephrology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has experienced pediatric specialists available to consult with you or your physician on second opinion requests. Our specialists work with families and referring physicians from all over the country — and around the world — to confirm diagnoses and provide second opinions about treatment and follow-up care.

Some children who come to us for second opinions may end up being treated here at CHOP; but many will return home for treatment after CHOP clinicians have confirmed the child’s diagnosis and treatment options. We work with an experienced, multidisciplinary team so that children can receive the best care possible all over the world.

Why seek a second opinion

Both families and physicians may request CHOP second opinions for patients with kidney disease or high blood pressure.

A second opinion can help you better understand your child’s diagnosis and treatment options and offer information about innovative therapies or clinical trials that may be available.

When to get a second opinion

The best time to get a second opinion is before your child has surgery, starts therapy or during the first few weeks of therapy. Other common times families may seek a second opinion are when a change in your child’s treatment plan has been recommended.

Questions to ask during a second opinion consultation

The following questions can help guide your discussion with clinicians during a second-opinion appointment:

• What type of condition does my child have?
• How many children with the same condition have you or your program treated?
• What are the treatment choices for the disorder my child has?
• Which treatment do you recommend for my child and why?
• How long will treatment last for my child?
• What are the chances this treatment will be successful, and how will we know if it is successful?
• What are the risks of this treatment for my child — both short-term and long-term?
• Are there other treatment approaches available for my child? What are they?
• Are there any clinical trials my child is a candidate for? What is your experience with those trials?

How to request a second opinion at CHOP

To request a second opinion with a physician in the Division of Nephrology at CHOP, please call 215-590-2449 and ask for an appointment. It is just that simple!

Information you’ll need

To help us perform a thorough second-opinion evaluation, we need a full summary of your child's evaluation as well as treatments and studies up to this point. It’s important for you to provide as much of the following information as possible to allow our expert team to make the best possible second-opinion recommendation for your child. Please submit these ahead of the visit so they can be entered into our electronic medical record.

Clinical information

• Your child's physician's name and contact information.
• Your child's diagnosis, or working diagnosis, and list of presenting symptoms.
• Copy of any existing treatment plan for your child.
• Parent summary. This is easiest to do through the online MyCHOP electronic medical record portal. You will be given access when you register for a visit.
• List of medications your child is currently prescribed and currently taking, including over-the-counter medications. Please include the medicine name, dosage, frequency, prescribing doctor, pharmacy name and phone number, as well as how long your child has been using this medication.

Complete clinical summary, including:

• Radiology study results and images
• Laboratory test results
• Details of any hospitalizations and discharge summaries
• Slides of kidney biopsy, if applicable

Seeking more answers?

Some families that are looking for more information on their child’s diagnosis choose to use our remote consultation service.

Depending on your home state and the clinical specialty area, the online remote consultation program allows CHOP pediatric specialists to review your child’s medical records remotely and provide a detailed written consultation report that answers your specific questions based on the information provided. This differs from an in-person second opinion visit, which is outlined above, because your family doesn’t need to travel to Philadelphia. Instead, the service is 100% remote and digital.

The Online Remote Consultation Program is available for families living in 23 states and covers 17 specialties, including Nephrology.

This is a self-pay program, insurance is not accepted. You may be able to use your Health Care Saving Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for this service. Please check with your plan.

Learn more about CHOP’s remote consultation program and see if your child is a candidate, see details our Online Second Opinion/Consultation Program.

You can also call 267-425-3560 to speak to our National Patient Services team about remote options.

Non-U.S. residents should contact our Global Patient Services team to learn more.