Affiliations with international organizations

Along with having a stamp of international accreditation, most medical facilities catering to foreign patients tend to have affiliations and associations with key medical organizations around the world. These facilities that can boast international affiliations truly demonstrate their ability to associate with world-class institutions.

Some examples of renowned institutions that have paired up with medical tourism facilities are Harvard Medical International, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. These international organizations ensure that the treating hospital takes the issue of patient satisfaction and quality care very seriously as their reputation is at stake too. They will visit the treating facility and conduct training sessions to bring the quality up to an international level.

Also, by affiliating with an American or European hospital, patients from that region will be familiar with the name, brand and reputation of the organization and be more willing to trust the facility. You can then trust the fact that the facility will be operating at a similar or higher level than the institution they are affiliated with.

Positive outcomes and high success rates of a foreign medical facility

Established hospitals should have clear and transparent data on the outcomes of certain treatments. Along with these outcomes should be the success rates of the procedures (in reference to their facility, not in general). These success rates are basically the ratio of successful and smooth procedures in comparison to the total number of those performed. This type of data should be collected within the hospital, cross-checked to make sure the information is not falsified, and then made available to patients and industry members.

Transparency has become a big issue within the healthcare industry, and any healthcare facility that does not have ‘transparent’ practices in place should not function as a medical tourism destination that hosts foreign patients. Transparency is the practice of making all data available to the public and not having any secrets from the paying consumer. Within the realm of transparency, the data being made public should be properly explained and understandable to an average consumer.

Patients should be made aware that for common procedures, they should not accept a success rate lower than 98%. The 2 percent discrepancy accounts for human or unforeseeable errors (or whatever best success rate is set by international accreditations). However, since most procedures have standardized protocols (the accepted or ‘right’ way to perform a procedure), there is no excuse for having a low success rate. If this data is not available on the website, you need to do a personal enquiry with the international patient department who should be more than willing to comply.

Location is an important criteria when selecting a medical tourism facility

Another important factor to consider when selecting the right facility for you is the location of the clinic. Questions regarding the location that you should ask yourself: Is it right in the middle of the city? Or does it require a great deal of transportation to access? Is it located in a safe area, or is there a high crime rate in the area surrounding it?

Many tourism destinations have a poor transportation infrastructure, so you want to determine that the location of the facility is within close proximity to the area you will be staying in so you do not have to waste time getting lost or stuck in traffic. Before leaving, make sure that you utilize a map service (GoogleEarth or Maps.com) that could help you locate where exactly your hospital would be, in terms of surrounding area and in terms of your accommodation. This way, you will have no surprises when you actually reach your destination. 

Level of follow-up care available at the medical facility abroad

Most of the information provided to you has been specifically for pre-operative arrangements and for the treatment itself. However, follow-up care and the post-operative period is the most important as it could affect the rest of your life if proper care is not undertaken. You need to ensure prior to arranging any deals with the hospital that they take the issue of following up with the patient very seriously.

Most decisions during the medical trip should be made with the post-operative recovery in mind. Will the hospital be able to help you in case any complications arise? Will any post-operative care be included with the entire treatment package or will you have to pay for it separately? Will you be taken care of by the same doctor or be referred to another provider to be treated? These are serious questions that you need to have definite answers to before you select the facility where you will be treated.

The level of follow-up care is crucial right after treatment, but it is also very important once you get back home. It is essential that the physician or hospital stay in touch with you to deal with any post-operative issues that might revolve around medical factors or non-medical (payment problems) ones. The hospital needs to have a strong patient department for foreign patients that cater to any of these problems even after the treatment is completed. 

Does the medical facility provide arrangements for patients

Besides just the basic informational advice that a hospital can provide, there are other free aspects they provide you with if you avail of the treatment at that facility. These factors can really help smooth your entire medical trip and might eliminate the need for you to make certain preparations. Some facilities will provide the transportation to and from the hospital. Others might be affiliated with a certain hotel that could provide you with better rates due to the fact that you are seeking treatment at their facility.

All patients need to enquire about these arrangements prior to travelling as it could ease out your preparations checklists. Complimentary transportation for the duration of your medical needs will certainly be easier on you and your budget. Most hospitals are ready to compromise a lot in order to make their customers happy. So if they are willing to provide you with these little perks, be sure and benefit from it.

Level of communication of the foreign medical facility

As a medical tourist you probably have tons of questions and concerns about the journey. We have previously listed all the possible people that a patient could seek guidance from prior to travel. However, there is no better organization to provide you with advice than the facility you are planning to seek treatment from. They have all the information and resources you would require to make an appropriate decision about whether to seek care from them or not.

Being able to communicate with the hospital and the importance they place on interacting with the patient is a determining factor on whether this hospital is worth your time and investment. All established medical tourism facilities should have an international patient department whose job is to create a channel of communication with the patient. They should be able to respond to all of your queries and provide top-notch customer service, before AND after your treatment.

It would be advisable to begin communication with one key person and build a relationship with them. You could ask them about any documents you might need (such as informed consents and medical itineraries) and also ask for guidance regarding anything you don’t know. This person should be available as much as possible to help answer your questions and concerns.

Besides the availability factor, the hospital should be able to communicate in a clear language you can understand. If there is a communication barrier between you and anyone from the hospital, this could directly or indirectly affect your entire course of treatment. If the hospital is in a country that does not speak your mother tongue, ensure they have a translation service on board that can accurately translate yours and the physician’s dialogue. 

Selecting a fully integrated medical facility abroad

Patients should always choose a healthcare facility that has as many features as possible on the premises, especially if you are travelling out of your home country. This will save you a lot of time, money and effort as you will only need to familiarize yourself with one location rather than running around in a place that is foreign to you.

A clinic or smaller medical facility usually has a limited selection of available services to offer a patient. It might just have a room for consultations to take place, but no available resources to conduct any diagnostic or lab tests or an operating room to handle the procedure.

A hospital on the other hand that is fully integrated will be able to cater to patients that are coming in for common, routine procedures as well as more specialized, complex treatments.  They will have separate areas for consultations, an area to conduct all the relevant medical tests, a pathology and laboratory division to analyze the tests and pharmacies that can dispense medication.

These integrated hospitals provide patients with much needed benefits. This is so patients can just focus on preparing for the treatment and healing once it has completed, rather than going around a new city looking for the individual services required. Integrated facilities usually operate on a higher level of quality, since they have more services to offer. Also, they are more likely to be able to handle an emergency situation (as ER facilities are also available).