Using a Physician Directory May Help Find a Doctor & Affordable Health Care

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Medical Tourism Hotspots Couple Convenience with Affordable Health Care

Medical tourism has become a prominent source of affordable health care, especially for American patients, for whom such care may literally cost an arm or a leg for those unable to afford its high costs.  For UK patients it’s the excessively long wait times for medical procedures that add to the misery. With life and death hanging in the balance, traveling abroad for timely, affordable professional health care seems an obvious conclusion.  Countries like the Philippines and Thailand, both of which receive large volumes of medical tourism, offer each patient a health travel package that combines quality care with relaxation with affordable pricing.  These medical vacations include conveniences like spa treatments and tourism packages.  For some patients, the convenience begins even before the travel does, with foreign hospitals offering a physician directory allowing patients to find a specific doctor to perform their medical procedures. 

Physician Directory Helps Patients Find a Doctor Right for Them

Directories listing physicians, their biographies, and credentials are becoming more common.  An obvious benefit is the convenience of an American patient familiarizing himself or herself with the doctor of choice in Thailand before purchasing a medical tourism package.  As patients peruse a physician directory, they can find a doctor and research his or her background to verify credentials and training.  Patients are also comforted by the knowledge that many doctors listed for medical tourism have received training and/or certification in the West.  The current technology adds a layer of convenience, but the next level may eliminate the need for that convenience altogether. 

Thailand’s Virtual Physician Directory May Eliminate the Need to Find a Doctor

Currently, the directory emphasis is on customer satisfaction.  However, Thailand’s Bumrungrad Hospital is working with Motorola to develop a network that will take the physician directory a step further, essentially eliminating the need for nurses and staff to scramble to find a doctor who isn’t busy.  Bumrungrad’s network may also facilitate patient records access.  The system capitalizes on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology similar to the Bluetooth capabilities in cell phones and laptop computers.  Imagine the reductions in the time and cost of locating patient records.  Now, envision those cost reductions transferred to patients making affordable health care even less of an anomaly.