When Naresh and I first started Navya, many asked us why we were setting-up an organization to offer second opinions. First, who would like to second guess their doctors, especially an oncologist (after all, cancer is a dreaded mystery for most); and second, it sounded like a basic service – what’s the value. We struggled hard to explain because our vocabulary was so new. Navya was an evidence and experience-based expert decision system. First, we were focused on empowering patients with all the relevant information, from every credible source, so there is no mystery, except the destiny of the Almighty. And second, we never proposed to enable an Nth confusing second opinion for any patient. We were focused on an expert opinion, a single consensus opinion that combined relevant and applicable knowledge from clinical trials, international guidelines, outcomes of similar patients, and true experts from only the handful of true expert centers. That reconciled opinion – the expert opinion – would remove all complexity of what treatment to undertake (preventive surgery or just sit tight… surgery first or chemotherapy… benefits of radiation versus risk of incontinence or infertility… chemotherapy or new targeted therapy or both… reinduction protocol or maintenance protocol or wait and watch…)
I am one of the founders of Navya, and it is a true privilege to have this opportunity.
– Gitika Srivastava
Tata Memorial Centre: tmc.gov.in
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