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Health Tourism
Health tourism is another name or synonym for medical tourism. However it is sometimes used in the context of wellness, where people are looking to make healthy lifstyle choices such as eating better, practicing yoga or undergoing spa treatments.
Medical Travel
Medical Travel is another name or synonym for medical tourism.
The History of Medical Tourism
Medical tourism goes way back to the Greeks and Romans if not even further. At that time pilgrims would travel to shrines and pools that were said to contain healing powers. In the 18th century, cities such as Bath, in England, drew thousands of people a year seeking the soothing thermal waters that were said to cure or alleviate common illnesses.
Medical Tourism Tips
Research your treatment options: Make sure you understand your medical situation, diagnosis, and required treatment. Talk with your doctor about your personal situation and planning the treatment.
Talk to someone you know who has undergone the treatment abroad about their experiences.
Choose the right companion: Someone you trust, fun person, physically and mentally capable of helping you, organized – you need someone who can help you plan and execute your journey successfully to make sure you’re getting the most out of your trip while you’re wise on money & time spending.
Take time to find the right doctor: To help you build your trust ask for credentials, experience, success rates, education degree, past patients’ testimonials, consultation fees and means of communication. Get precise explanations about the methods and materials used.
Get to know your hospital or clinic and check the accreditation, insurance policy, success rate and number of surgeries.
Once you’ve established a relationship or a scheduled consultation, the chosen doctor will probably ask you for assistive medical information so make sure you have prepared:
• - Your doctors’ reports and recommendations
• - X-Ray
• - Lab Test results
Post procedure recuperation planning
• You should give yourself sometime to recover, to be on the safe side, plan a few more days that what the doctor recommended, just in case a complication happens
• Get the detailed information on post procedure care
Make sure you know:
• how many appointments you will need
• how long you will stay at the medical facility
• how long is the post procedure recuperation period
• how much the whole medical treatment will cost
• detailed schedule (appointments, procedures, checkups, etc…)
Planning your trip
Once you’ve scheduled your appointments, book your travel (air, hotel, transportation). Try to book your trip in advance to make sure you get a good fair and you don’t get put on the waiting list and go through the risk of not being able to make it on time.
Things you should not forget:
• - Passport - check the validity of your passport
• - ATM cards, credit cards, insurance card if applicable
• - Medical history file
• - Enough cash
• - Contact information from the hospital/doctor and accommodation
• - Travel document (reservations confirmation)
• - Prescriptions
• - Visa if required – please check if you need a visa for your destination.
Make sure you take photocopies of your passport, visa and other documentation, keep them separate to your hand luggage, and leave details of where you are going with someone at home.
Don't forget the tourism!
Plan your holiday based on the kind of treatment you are traveling for. In case it is something that will restrict your movements indulge in a holiday before the surgery and leave for home after a couple of days. Otherwise, you can enjoy a trip afterwards and go home feeling refreshed. Also, take your doctor's advice before you make a decision. Take advantage of all the beautiful sights your Destination has to offer!
Provided by Mario Marinov, www.croatianmedicaltourism.com
Accreditation
There are several forms of accreditation of qualiy available internationally. The top accreditation systems are Trent Accreditation Scheme, Joint Commission International (JCI), Accreditation Canada, ISQua, and the Australia Accreditation system. Accreditation of hospitals is a very important, but controversial topic.
American Healthcare Crisis
The Americans healthcare crisis is a big reason for the growth of medical tourism. The US census bureau estimates that between 45 to 48 million Americans do not have health insurance. Delloite reports that millions of Americans could be traveling for medical tourism in the next several years.
After Care
Within the context of medical tourism, after care usually refers to the care given to patients after they leave the hospital or clinic. It is usually divided into two stages, 1. The after care provided at the medical tourism destination. 2. The after care provided after the patient returns to his or her area of residence.
The second stage is presently a hot topic in medical tourism circles as many believe that medical tourism will not reach its full potential until a convenient after care "component" is available for patients returning from surgery abroad. This issue is especially important for insurance companies or employers thinking of implementing medical tourism into their health care plans.
Legal Issues
This section discusses the different legal issues associated with medical tourism.
Quality
Quality is a critical factor in patients decision making process.
Destinations
Over 40 countries are marketing medical tourism and trying to attract foreign- international patients.
Africa and Middle East, including Brunei, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Tunisia
Africa and the Middle East present a great opportunity for medical tourism.
Israel
Israel is a leading healthcare destination for medical tourism in the middle east. Israel receives over 30,000 medical tourist patients per year from Russia.
Jordan
Jordan has one of the top reputations for healthcare and medical tourism in the Middle East.
UAE
The United Arab Emirates is famous for it's significant investment in healthcare infrastructure.
The Americas
Countries in the Americas that are treating foreign patients include Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
Brazil
Brazil is known for cosmetic surgeries but now has a growing reputation for more serious surgeries.
Canada
Many patients travel to and from Canada for healthcare.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica has for many years been a well-known destination for high quality cosmetic and dental procedures. However, in the past few years the country has also begun to attract a significant patient flow from the U.S. and Canada for orthopedic surgery, weight loss surgery, general surgeries and gynecology. Although the Costa Rica is roughly the size of West Virginia, it boasts two Joint Commission International accredited hospitals (with a third one on the way) and has a health care system that was rated as one of the best in the Western Hemisphere, ahead of the U.S. by the World Health Organization.
Cuba
Cuba is a destination for low cost healthcare.
Mexico
Mexico has been a leader in Medical Tourism and attracts millions of patients from the United States every year.
Panama
Panama has been marketing medical tourism for several years.
United States
United States is known for being one of the first countries to promote medical tourism. Thousands of patients travel to the United States from other countries becuase of the US reputation for having some of the highest quality healthcare, advanced medical technology and expert surgeons.
Uruguay
Uruguay is a major tourism destination for Europeans. Now Uruguay has turned it's eye towards medical tourism and is trying to attract patients to Uruguay from both Europe and the United States.
Asia/Pacific
China
China has had several projects recently start in medical tourism.
Hong Kong
Many Hong Kong hospitals are accredited by the Trent Accreditation Scheme out of the United Kingdom.
India
India is a leader in medical tourism and is known for it's high quality healthcare with rock bottom affordable pricing.
Malaysia
Malaysia is emerging as a top destination for medical tourism.
Philippines
The Philippines markets itself as the heart of Asia and prides itself on the warm and loving care provided by their medical providers and nurses.
Singapore
Singapore has a reputation for high quality healthcare and expert surgeons. Singapore does not have it's own accreditation system for quality so has adopted the Joint Commission International (JCI) to accredit Singapore's local hospitals.
Taiwan
Taiwan has recently enterd in the medical tourism industry and is focusing it's efforts on chinese patients who are living in other countries.
Thailand
Thailand is one of the top destinations for medical tourism. The reasons for this are quality and pricing. Some of the top hospitals in Thailand are located in Bangkok, including Bumrungrad, Bangkok Medical Center and Samitivej Hospital. Asia, and specifically Thailand is known for having experience in providing high volume medical procedures. Thailand provides numerous surgery options from knee and back surgeries, heart procedures, transplants, and cosmetic surgery.
Europe
Europe has been a center for healthcare and medical tourism for centuries. Europe has been a big destination for medical tourism from the Middle East.
Croatia
The foremost and the major benefit of medical tourism is the huge gap in the cost of treatments.
Another benefit is to overcome the waiting period. Often the health care system in developed nations has long queue and you have to wait for months or sometimes even a year. You can travel to foreign countries, receive medical treatment, and convalesce well before a year.
When you choose to travel to Croatia for the purpose of medical tourism, your main aim of travel complemented with the experience offered by this tourist country.
Croatia is an extremely competitive health and medical destination for safe and affordable treatments not only for neighboring Europeans, but for travelers from North and South America as well.
Croatia is recognizing for superlative care, treatments and procedures (rehabilitation and wellness treatment, dental care, cosmetic and plastic surgery, eye treatment, etc.). With state of the art facilities, equipment and expertise, Croatia is building a growing reputation for the best service that still beats medical or health costs from throughout Europe and North America.
Medical schools in Croatia have traditionally had good reputation, as the doctors who graduated from these schools became top specialists through practice and further training in the high standard environment. The Croatian doctors are regular participants of conferences and other forms of expert training, but also respected members of world and European associations, which confirms their high expertise in different fields of medicine. There are many doctors educated in Croatia who have built their careers and achieved success in your country as well.
Private health institutions and surgeries in Croatia are equipped with the latest diagnostic technology and surgical equipment for surgical procedures.
Croatia, where tourism is one of the dominant economic branches, with its astonishing Adriatic Sea coast and attractive continental touristic possibilities, has plenty to offer to medical tourism consumers.
We invite you to discover and enjoy the beauties of Croatia, its mild climate, the crystal clean, warm sea water, beautiful beaches, virgin nature, combined with rich history and cultural heritage, delicious cuisine and good wines, an above all, warm and friendly people.
We will arrange everything for you in order to make your stay as pleasant as possible so when you come back home you’ll enjoy in beautiful memories, speaking about our country and nice hospitality to your family and friends and wish to come back as soon as possible. With Our unique approach based on
• High quality doctors, clinics and hospitals.
• Tailored to your needs.
• Quality end to end services.
• Low Risk.
We would like to thank you for choosing us and welcome you to Croatia!
Provided by Mario Marinov, from www.croatianmedicaltourism.com
Poland
Poland is known for dental tourism, and dental care.
Romania
Romania is an upcoming destination for medical tourism. Even though Romania has relatively few years experience in running medical services for tourists, the professionalism of the doctors, the high-quality treatments and the last-generation equipped private clinics are going to transform Romanian Medical Tourism in one of the top destinations in Eastern Europe. A medical tourist in Romania, will find treatments such as dentistry (cosmetic dentistry, endodontics, bone augmentation, implants), eye care surgery (cataract surgery, eye-lid surgery, anterior pole surgery and various laser treatments), esthetic surgery (liposuction, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation) and elective surgery (knee replacement, hip replacement) at extremely affordable prices.
Prices are usually 70% lower than those practiced in Western Europe and foreign patients will regularly save 50% all included (accommodation and airplane ticket included). Romania has many airports but the ones highly used by medical tourists are Bucharest "Aurel Vlaicu" (BBU) and Bucharest "Henri Coandǎ" (OTP).
Romanian dentists, and generally speaking all doctors offer high-standards of work and this is due to the prestige of the Romanian School of Medicine, which has given valuable graduates over the years. That is why, dental and eye care clinics in Romania can easily rival many of the western standard clinics.
Having seen a significant increase in foreign patients, private clinics realise that medical tourism is on the rise in Romania, and thus the country’s status as an important medical tourism destination may only be a matter of time.
The medical tourism market in Romania has rapidly grown over the last two years. Taking the United Kingdom patients as an example, estimates show that 65.000 patients have left the UK for treatment in 2010, showing a 15% increase compared to 2009. Same applies to the Republic of Ireland’s travelling patients. Due to the fact that English is a widespread language in Romania, and correlated with the increase in UK visitors to Romania, facilitators expect a large number of UK patients to Romania in 2010.
Turning a visit to the doctor into a cosy holiday
With prices a bit lower than those in Hungary (best-known dental tourism destination in Europe) both in terms of medical services and the cost of living (accommodation, shopping, eating) and accommodation consisting of great boutique hotels (lots of 4 star hotels at a fraction of the price in UK or US), Romania is welcoming patients with major sightseeing points.
Quality & Guarantee
Medical tourism facilitators usually work with large clinics, which can easily rival clinics in the UK or even the US in terms of equipment, materials or quality of work. Guaranteed work is always endeavoured. Insurance companies have begun working with some facilitators, offering policies for UK residents looking to travel to Romania for medical treatment.
Source:Andrei Radomir, www.qdays.com
Turkey
Turkey has a reputation for having excellent healthcare and being a leader in medical tourism. Turkey has one of the largest numbers of hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI). Turkey has one of the world's top eye hospitals and received many patients from countries surrounding Turkey in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Medical Procedures
Patients are traveling for many types of medical procedures such as cosmetic and plastic surgery, dental treatment, knee replacements, hip replacements, spine surgery, liver and kidney transplants, eye surgery, and also alternative treatments and wellness.
Health Tourism
Health Tourism is the medical spa and wellness part of medical tourism.
Medical Wellness and Spas
Medical Spas and Wellness is sometimes called Health Tourism. Medical Wellness and Medical Spas have become an accepted industry within healthcare. People's wellness in general has been seen as a way to heal the body naturally. Many hospitals around the world have started to integrate medical wellness with
Sometimes these medical wellness and spa treatments are called "complementary" or alternative treatments. The mayo clinic recommends for certain people the following forms of medical wellness for cancer patients, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Biofeedback, Exercise, Hypnosis, Massage Therapy, Music Therapy, Relaxation, Tai Chi, and Yoga. Mayo Clinic Alternative Treatments
Medical Tourism Research
This part of the Medical Tourism.com Wiki content is provided by the Center for Medical Tourism Research run by David Vequist. Center for Medical Tourism Research Website
Although medical tourism has been around since virtually the beginning of civilization (before the time of Christ, affluent Romans used to travel to far-away lands such as the areas now known as Switzerland and Turkey to go to medispas developed around the hotsprings in these areas), the research on the modern medical tourism movement has been sporadic and, quite frankly, limited in scope. Probably the first seminal academic research was written by Dr. Beth Kangas (currently with Oakland University) who began her research on international medical travel in the 1990s with ethnographic studies on patients from Yemen who sought treatment in Jordan and India. She later published a dissertation on this subject in 2002 with the University of Arizona (see http://www.medanthro.net/news/inprint.html). There was some limited and sporadic work in the early aughts but it was not until around 2005 to 2008 when the ‘birth’ of modern medical tourism research began. Arguably, some of the best, and earliest publicly-available (on the internet) research pieces (listed by date) are the reports by: McKinsey & Company (in 2005, found at http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Innovation_blowback_Disruptive_management_practices_from_Asia_1558); U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging (2006 hearing, found at http://aging.senate.gov/hearing_detail.cfm?id=270728&); David G. Vequist IV, Ph.D. (in 2007 at a presentation at the Sixth Annual International Smart-sourcing Conference, found at http://www.outsourceglobal.org/Final%20Conference%20Program%202007.pdf, on a healthcare blog at http://blog.newmedicalhorizons.com/2007/08/david-vequist-forecasting-future-trends.html, and later in 2007 as the keynote speaker at the World Congress Forum on Medical Tourism- found at http://www.worldcongress.com/events/HL07095/); the National Center for Policy Analysis (in 2008, see http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba623); American Medical Association (in 2008, found at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/372/a-08cms1.pdf); and the Deloitte & Touche report (found at http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/research/0,1015,sid%253D166916%2526cid%253D226573,00.html). Around this same period, the major media outlets such as the Washington Post, Time, BusinessWeek, Fox News, CNN, and etc. had major pieces on the trend. Finally, the academic journals (e.g., Journal of Health Care Finance, International Journal of Health Services, American Journal of Transplants, International Journal of Fertility and Women’s Medicine, Journal of Medical Practitioners Management, Journal of Continuing Education and Healthcare Professionals) have also started to have various articles on aspects of medical tourism in the last several years. Finally, the first academic center devoted to medical tourism research was established in late 2008 at the University of the Incarnate Word (a small, private university in San Antonio, Texas, see- http://www.uiw.edu) called the Center for Medical Tourism Research (CMTR, found online at http://www.medicaltourismresearch.org). Its vision is to “serve as the premier academic center for Medical Tourism/Travel research in the world” and to “provide high-quality research and thought-leadership in the economic, social justice, and societal impacts of the Medical Tourism/Travel industry”. Although currently, there is very little primary data that has been adequately vetted and can be trusted to draw macro or micro-level analysis from- the future looks very bright for medical tourism research and this multi-billion dollar, world-wide industry.
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