Best Doctor's - Gain access to specialists from around the world, Winter 2005

When Martin Joliette first experienced double vision three months ago, he was only mildly alarmed.

"I blew it off as a bit of the flu - I thought maybe I was just a little dizzy. But the second time, he thought "this can't be right."

Two weeks after the onset of symptoms, Joliette visited his general practitioner who ran some tests and gave Joliette a preliminary diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

"I didn't take the information lightly," he says. "It's a life - changing moment. I also have diabetes, which in itself is an adjustment."

Before he made any lifestyle changes however, he wanted to be absolutely sure. "Because of the severity of the diagnosis, I wanted a second opinion."

He remembered having received a brochure about Best Doctors with his employee benefits plan a year earlier. After digging it up, he made a phone call.

"I asked the service representative what they do for people who aren't sure about their diagnosis, and she explained the process," he says.

Joliette simply filled out a consent form allowing the service to access his medical files. The information was then sent to the MS Center in San Francisco where it was analyzed by a team of specialists.

While the entire process took some time, Joliette's representative maintained regular contact, letting him know at least once a week how it was coming along.

After one month, Joliette had a detailed report of the doctors' findings in his hands, confirming the initial diagnosis of MS.

"While the news was not necessarily good, it did feel good knowing my case had been reviewed by specialists. I realized I now needed to begin treating my condition."

He began visiting an MS clinic in a nearby city to learn more about the condition and evaluated treatment options with his doctor.

"My doctor looked into a few medications, but was worried. We didn't want to interfere with my diabetes or to complicate either condition."

Because of the complexity of Joliette's case, he and his doctor decided to again contact Best Doctors. Upon reviewing his charts more closely, the specialists in San Francisco found Joliette's liver was elevated and recommended no course of treatment at this time.

"They advised not to take any treatment until the levels returned to normal. Any medication would have made my condition worse," he says.

For now, Martin is content to maintain the status-quo while working at lowering his liver levels. At that time, he will revisit treatment options, and again include Best Doctors in his research.

"It helps my doctor and I make better decisions," he says. "It's like having the best minds working on your case. I can't think of anything better."

For more information on employee benefits plans with access to Best Doctors call 1-800-665-1234.

How are the specialists chosen?

Specialists are chosen by peers. Each year, Best Doctors sends out a survey to physicians, asking who they would recommend for a specific condition. The answers given compile the database, which contains over 50,000 specialists in 30 countries. Doctors do not receive money for being on the list and cannot pay to be on the list.