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MEDICAL TOURISM
Change is the only constant. And because it is often accompanied by
stressful and sometimes difficult adjustments and decisions, we often go
to greater lengths to resist rather than embrace change. So how does one
make change a little easier? Oftentimes having choices and options makes
the transition bearable, and even rewarding.
The challenges we face in health care today are certainly no exception. As
leaders and employers address the need to manage the rising costs of care
in the U.S., consumers have more options than ever. From multiple offerings
of plan options, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending
Accounts (FSAs) to seeking medical treatment abroad, both insured and
uninsured health care consumers now need to research how to spend their
own resources. One such option is medical tourism, or as the qualityconscious
refer to it, medical travel – traveling abroad expressly for high
quality medical care at a lower cost.
Traveling to another country for medical care, however, is not without
some significant challenges of its own. One of particular importance is
exactly how to involve your local physician and ensure that they will have
access to the necessary resources when you return home. Medical travel
will be more successful with the support of physicians and ancillary
providers once back in the United States. A critical component in the
success of one’s treatment is the availability and coordination of followup
care with the patient’s domestic physician.
The consensus among many U.S. physicians is that this is fast becoming
a reality of today’s health care market and more and more patients will
have choices when it comes to deciding where to seek care – especially for
more complex, high-cost treatments and procedures. There are several
recommendations you can follow to help smooth out the transition from
treatment abroad to after-care at home.
First, and most important, locate a provider and physician that support
and encourage collaboration with the primary physician in the U.S. and
vice versa. This should be viewed as a partnership between your doctor at
home and the clinician abroad. It’s not enough to simply discuss the plan
of treatment with your attending physician at home, but encourage them
and the destination specialist to communicate. Effective communication
between all individuals, services, programs and organizations will likely
improve the quality of care and level of functioning. According to the
March 31, 2007 sentinel event statistics published by The Joint
44 DECEMBER 2007
Engaging Your Family Physician in
Medical Travel
By THOMAS C. JOHNSRUD,
Medical Travel Consultant, Parkway Hospital
Locate a provider and
physician that support and
encourage collaboration
with the primary physician
in the U.S., and vice versa
Commission, communication was cited as the root cause of the event in
nearly 70% of the reported cases.
Also, share ALL of your medical history, medications, allergies and any
other relevant indications that you and your physician deem important to
share. If you are working through a medical travel agent, they should be
able to facilitate the transfer of appropriate medical records including
current x-rays, diagnostics, etc. In fact, some agents have access to webbased
repositories that enable medical records and documentation to be
easily shared between authorized providers. Contrary to the more familiar
referral process, this is a more complex partnership that requires all involved
physicians to work together for the patient to receive the best and safest
care.
The total plan of care also should include ensuring that the potential
resources needed after the initial treatments are available upon your return.
Although the acute portion of the recovery may occur at the treatment
destination, medical travelers may require the need for several weeks of
rehabilitation at home post-treatment. Make sure you and both physicians
are aware of what these requirements are before completing your travel
plans.
The collaborative link between the physicians facilitates a much more
comprehensive treatment plan to follow you through your recovery and
helps to ensure a better outcome. Medical treatment overseas serves as a
complement to, not a replacement for, health care in the U.S.