Our Approach

• We select patients whom we believe we have the best chance of helping. Generally these are people who have at least one abnormal laboratory test or finding on physical examination documented in their medical records. Often our patients have previously been evaluated at top academic medical centers.
• The first step in applying to be a patient is to provide us with a summary, about one to two pages long, of your symptoms, your previous medical evaluations, and any abnormal findings by your physicians. Our team will review your summary to determine whether we are a good fit for you.
• If we accept you as a patient, you will pay a flat, upfront fee which covers our physicians’ work for up to a year. Since all laboratory tests are performed by outside providers those expenses are not included in FDM’s fee; they are billed by those providers to you or, if applicable, your health insurance.
• We will then ask you to forward to us the most complete medical record possible, which will be reviewed carefully by your FDM physician prior to your first visit with us.
• You and any family members you wish to bring will then visit our headquarters in New York City, where you will meet your lead FDM physician. He or she will take an in-depth medical history and perform a meticulous physical examination, the cornerstone of our process. Unlike the average doctor’s appointment, you will spend hours to days with your physician.
• Your lead physician will discuss your case with his or her colleagues on the FDM team. We will immediately make recommendations for further diagnostic testing. Through a strategic alliance with Columbia University’s renowned medical faculty, we are able to rapidly obtain a wide range of laboratory tests, imaging studies, biopsies, subspecialty consultations, and advanced diagnostic procedures. Most of these are performed at Columbia’s new, magnificent, state-of-the-art center in Midtown.
• We also have access to cutting-edge molecular diagnostic tools such as genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics and outstanding expertise on how to best employ them.
• Often, a successful diagnostic process requires several rounds of hypotheses and testing. Your FDM physician will continue to analyze data as it comes in, research relevant topics in the medical literature, discuss the case with FDM colleagues, and consult with experts in FDM’s network of contacts. In addition, FDM provides its physicians with access to advanced diagnostic informatics programs, which complement but do not replace human expertise. Your physician will stay in close contact with you and conduct further phone interviews with you as necessary, and in some cases may recommend that you return to FDM for follow-up examinations.
• If you wish, we can work to coordinate further diagnostic testing through your local physicians at home.
• Once our team agrees that a diagnosis has been established, your FDM physician will promptly contact you and schedule either a visit to FDM or, at your option, a telephone conference, to discuss the condition in an extended dialogue. Where appropriate, we will assist you in finding a physician who is qualified to treat the diagnosed condition.
• In all, FDM’s work can total tens to hundreds of hours for each patient.

Please read more about our core values. To inquire about becoming a patient, email us at dx@focusdiagnosticmedicine.com .