Proper Research Will Help Ensure Your Health Vacation’s Success

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Give Your Doctor a Checkup before Your Health Vacation

Medical tourists traveling to cut the cost of serious procedures, like bone marrow transplants, should research their foreign hospital thoughtfully, says Ann Marie Kimball, a physician and instructor at the University of Washington.  Kimball recently told NPR that talented doctors are not confined to the US, and there are a plethora of highly skilled surgeons working overseas.  However, it is wise to get as much information as possible before you fly halfway across the world for a serious procedure.  Medical tourism companies can help you research your future doctor.  Further more, she suggests asking your own local physician to ask around for you.  “Often, surgeons know surgeons,” Kimball says, “If they’re members of the same professional organization, they may well be aware of one another’s reputation.” 

Medical Tourism Companies Can Help You Research Hospitals

As well as properly researching your future doctor, health vacationers should also attempt to learn more about the hospital in which they will receive treatment.  The Joint Commission International (JCI), an American non-profit organization, accredits foreign hospitals.  Currently, there are 140 international facilities accredited by JCI.  Medical tourism companies can also offer information on your future hospital, but NPR urges some independent research as well, as the medical tourism companies sometimes have a financial interest in placing clients at one facility or the other.    

Choose Thailand, Singapore, or India for Serious Procedures

Josef Woodman, author of Patients Beyond Borders, suggests that for more “expensive, invasive surgeries” the best care is found in health vacation hubs like Thailand, Singapore, and India.  Whether you are traveling to cut the cost of a bone marrow transplant or open heart surgery, these far away locations are worth the time, cost, and distance of the trip, according to Woodman.  NPR reports that large hospitals in places like these can arrange for future patients to speak with physicians or previous patients over the phone in order to address any questions they may have.