| Medical tourism is one of the fastest growing | | | | Commission International (JCI). Approval through |
| niches in the travel industry. Some make the | | | | the multi-step accreditation program of JCI is a |
| distinction between medical travel and medical | | | | good indication of the quality of the institution. |
| tourism, with the former being trips made solely | | | | With more specialized procedures the choice of |
| for medical purposes, and the latter for those | | | | your medical tourism destination becomes more |
| who wish to combine tourism with their medical | | | | serious in consequences but is no harder to |
| treatments. I prefer to use the term medical | | | | research. A simple Google search on the internet |
| tourism for both types of trips since the family | | | | for the three keyword phrases: "medical tourism", |
| members and the patient both normally have the | | | | "medical travel", and "medical travel facilitators" will |
| option of sightseeing while in the country. | | | | return a multitude of resources to study. And, as |
| How does one choose the particular destination to | | | | you research these links, you will find numerous |
| receive the needed medical procedures? For most | | | | other links from within those web sites that will |
| people the answer is rather simple. | | | | expand on each topic. |
| Most of the decision making on medical tourist | | | | You will find lists of medical travel facilitators who |
| destinations revolves around two factors, | | | | can provide you with a complete travel and |
| (1) the relative costs of the procedures, and | | | | medical package, tailoring a trip specific to your |
| (2) the distance which one has to travel to get | | | | medical and travel needs. These travel facilitators |
| the procedures. One example of such destination | | | | include such groups as Patients Without Borders, |
| decision making can be illustrated by dental | | | | MedRetreat, and Medical Nomad. Among your |
| tourism. | | | | search results will probably be these and others |
| Citizens of the United States and Canada are | | | | with similar programs. |
| more likely to go to Latin America for dental | | | | In summary, in choosing your medical tourism |
| procedures; citizens of Germany, Switzerland, and | | | | destination, you need to: |
| Austria are more likely to go to the Eastern | | | | |
| European countries of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland | | | | 1. Know exactly the procedure you need. You can |
| and Romania. As long as the distances are similar, | | | | learn this from your personal doctor. |
| the cost factor overrides the distance factor. | | | | 2. Determine which countries have doctors and |
| However, when the medical procedure is a highly | | | | hospitals that perform this procedure. |
| specialized one, like heart surgery or knee | | | | 3. Select the ones that are accredited and have |
| replacement, a third factor outweighs both cost | | | | been rated highly by others. |
| and distance. That factor is medical proficiency in | | | | 4. Based on a cost analysis of your chosen list of |
| the procedure. With the most serious medical | | | | doctors and hospitals, determine which destination |
| needs the qualifications of the doctors and | | | | fits most closely with your personal medical and |
| hospitals involved take precedence over cost and | | | | financial needs. |
| distance. Factors such as hospital affiliations with | | | | 5. Either personally make your travel and medical |
| medical groups like Johns Hopkins Medicine | | | | arrangements, or contact a medical travel |
| International and the type of certification the | | | | facilitator to do it for you. |
| hospital has become critically important. For | | | | 6. Do it. Go take care of your medical problem |
| example, over 200 facilities outside of the United | | | | while enjoying the thrill of spending time in another |
| States have received accreditation from the Joint | | | | country. |