Patients familiarizing themselves with their medical condition

Prior to any medical tourism arrangements, it is crucial that as an individual opting for medical travel, you thoroughly understand your healthcare condition. If you are embarking on diagnostic procedures (such as screenings and check-ups), you need to be fully aware of what you need. If you have already been diagnosed by a physician in your home country then you need to be completely familiar with your diagnosis and recommended treatment. If necessary, get a second opinion or seek out patient testimonials to determine the best course of action for your condition and how others have dealt with it. 

Education and researching about a medical condition

Education and research is the key here. Being diagnosed with a disease is a difficult time for any individual, but the best way to gain control over the situation is to equip yourself with the power of knowledge. The more you know about the disease, the less room will exist for unpredictability. Use the internet, speak to people and consult with other physicians prior to your trip so you have a thorough understanding of your symptoms and treatment options. We have a section in this chapter that explains how and where a potential medical tourist can seek authentic information. Also, you can visit many international sites like webMD.com, nhsdirect.nhs.uk, nlm.nih.gov which offer a lot of help to patients seeking information about specific illnesses and medical tourism.

• Make sure you know everything possible about the disease
• Try finding out about all possible treatments/procedures related to your condition
• Speak with your physician, do take a second opinion
• If necessary, speak with your international healthcare provider, to learn about their take on your condition

Importance of communicating with treating physicians

Communication with your treating facility and physician abroad is another important aspect before travelling. Once you have chosen a destination and a hospital/clinic within the region, initiate communication immediately. Each healthcare facility catering to medical tourists should have an international patient department which facilitates the communication process. Get in touch with them, and have any necessary documents sent across to you. The consent forms (discussed in length in the following chapter) are among the crucial documents you want to have before you travel. This consent is a legal document that provides all the necessary information about the hospital and procedure. Also, patients could request for a medical itinerary that details the entire medical treatment from start to finish.

Taking advantage of telemedicine before medical travel

There is a dedicated section on telemedicine in this book because it is a great tool to gather information from your potential provider or from any distance experts in cases where such services are not available in your country. Telemedicine is not a technology or a process in itself, but encompasses all methods that bridge the geographical limitations and facilitate the provision of health services from a distance. With the help of telemedicine, accurate clinical information can be made available to the patient as well as the patient’s care providers, family and friends on-demand, and also during and after the treatments are performed. Thus, telemedicine increases healthcare access for all, irrespective of the geographical location.