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Most individuals from developed countries are getting attracted to medical tourism because this aspect has drastically changed the face of healthcare services. However, despite the huge advantages offered by medical tourism and its promises, the field continues to present problems. Hence, recognizing what dangers might come with medical tourism and finding out how to avoid them is crucial for those who are planning on it.
The M-M Booking Current map in Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4 and Figure 5 shows a general positive trend of the allure of Medical Tourism for different countries.
For many people it is great that they have an ability to combine the rest and the treatment when choosing medical tourism. Today, for instance, one can find a myriad of healthcare services ranging from Thailand, India or Mexican markets at one third the price that charges those in the United States or Europe. This burden can assist hospitals and clinics in the mentioned destinations to improve their medical amenities with sophisticated technologies and research with skilled workers. However, the government's aspiration of affordable care might obscure the essential aspect of patients’ safety and quality of care.
Below are some of the risks that patients are likely to encounter when they engage in medical tourism. Their vulnerability to certain diseases When going on medical tourism, patients are greatly exposed to various diseases, a factor they need to consider. These are the areas identified as potential sources of variability in the service, namely, acute care variation, communication issues, legal aspects, and follow-up care.
Another relevant problem is the lack of equity in health care available to the citizens of different countries. In the same way, while many medical facilities provide a good standard of care, there might be other facilities that do not meet the standard seen in the developed countries. Another possible threat is that patients can have significant difficulties in evaluating the credibility of such providers, so their choice is likely to be influenced by the price factor only.
Where the internal communication channels are not effectively managed, barriers to communicating can become another major threat. Language difficulties can lead to correct interpretations of the patients’ status and existing health issues; this contributes to proper diagnosis and the prescription of the right treatment course. Moreover, the lack of readily available medical records and follow-up care can complicate the recovery process and create additional health risks.
Patients’ rights can also be also protected to various degrees depending on the country in which the patient is located. When it comes to filing a legal case against a doctor or hospital if negligence or any complications occur during or after treatment, the international patient does not know how to go about it since it may involve dealing with local laws that he or she is not very much acquainted with. This can make the patients end up feeling at the mercy of their doctors and nurses and unsure of what recourse they have if they fall victim to medical malpractice.
Risk assessment plays a significant role in avoiding the pitfalls of Medical tourism thus the need to undertake a comprehensive research. It should be understood that patients and their families should spend time choosing their physician, an activity that means evaluating options. At this point in a scan, one should start with the accreditation of certain medical facilities. There are two well-known organizations that assess hospitals globally, namely; Joint Commission International (JCI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). JCI or ISO accredited facilities have passed stringent checks in terms of safety and quality hence patients seeking to seek treatment in such a facility are likely to be safe.
Furthermore, it is also critical to do a background research of the personnel practicing in these facilities. Closely examine the education, training, and certification of surgeons or specialists as a means of comparing their level of skills. Reception from the provider’s past patients in the form of online reviews and testimonials can reveal the quality of service offered by the provider.
Such sources of information can also prove highly helpful; talking to other people who have also undergone operations in other countries. Patients seeking information about specific procedures, costs and quality of healthcare in other countries can find valuable information about trends, success rates and lessons learnt in the Medical Tourism online communities.
Thus, a general legal awareness of the destination country's health care system is an essential prerequisite for any patient planning to undertake a medical tourism trip. It is recommended that patients should get to know some of the rights and protection, which international patients have. Some hospitals may give some information with regards to the laws and the regulations governing healthcare services, these will help to explain some legal procedures that may be followed in the occurrence of mishaps.
Additionally, protection may be sought in the context of legal consultancy to some of the medical tourism law experts who can enlighten the patients on what they are entitled to and the law governing the relationships between players in the medical tourism industry. From this, one is placed in a position to make sound decisions with adequate preparation in case of any complications that might occur.
Doctor-patient relationship is established on the principles of effective communication. Thus, to avoid situations that may lead to misunderstandings due to language differences, patients should look at the healthcare facilities that provide services from multilingual personnel or engage the services of professional translation. Hospitals that treat international patients employ special support personnel who ensure that there is a clear communication of the matters necessary in the medical procedure to all parties interested.
Patients should also prepare a list of questions or issues that they would like to address to health care providers prior to such a meeting.
In medical tourism communication, attention to post-operative care as a key element of the recovery process is paid insufficient attention, despite the fact that it plays an important role in traveling patients’ healing experiences. Before leaving for another country, patients should engage their doctors in order to establish whether they will require follow up treatment and how often they will be required to visit the doctor.
Seeking the services of a qualified service provider in the home country to oversee postoperative care and physical therapy can go a long way in enhancing success. This healthcare provider must be privy to the patient’s medical history besides the details of the surgery that the patient underwent.
Further, patients should also be ready for other enhanced risks or occurrences of any kind. When going for a journey, having a plan on how to handle emergencies is very essential to reduce stress in case there is an emergency and gain access to quality medical services. This may involve identifying other facilities that may have the facilities to tackle the various complications or retrievable arrangements for follow-up care.
Paradoxically, education is the best means of protecting the public from many of the hazards related to medical tourist trade. Some of the areas patients need to equip themselves with knowledge include; their individual medical history, the surgery that is being carried out, probabilities of the outcome and changes in behavior pattern after the surgery is conducted. This way, patients will be ready to know the most frequent complications and symptoms to expect after discharge to prevent any delays in the treatment of such situations.
However, travelers can also get traveling medical insurance to help them in case they are needed to undergo treatment in another country. Medical travel insurance can include overnight emergency evacuation and/or complications or for follow-up which reduce the out-of-pocket cost should something happen.
It is possible and even desirable to talk about the utilization of medical tourism as potential directions to solve the problems of obtaining affordable and quality health care; However, it is necessary to find ways of minimizing the associated risks very carefully. Through research, knowledge of rules and regulations, communication, and preparing for after the surgeries besides seeking information, the patient makes a noble stand to be on the right track.
Finally, comprehension of the multifaceted nature and possible adverse outcomes of medical tourism presupposes the achievement of a successful and effective experience of dealing with the healthcare system in a foreign country. Thus, as more patients turn to this trend, it is important to be as knowledgeable and prepared as possible to minimize the negative outcomes and improve the general experience.
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