Archive for February, 2012

Health-Care Services Common to Medical Tourism

Posted on 6 February 2012 in Uncategorized by admin

For one reason or the other, individuals travel across international borders to access health services that are available in their destination countries. Similarly, medical tourism could also be referred to as the practice whereby some physicians, doctors or health-care providers are itinerant travelers to different parts of the world to deliver health-care services to potential patients.

It is worthy of note that the health services that medical tourists commonly seek to have include dental surgery, joint (hip or knee) replacement surgeries, cosmetic surgeries, cardiac surgery, psychiatry, alternative treatments, in-vitro fertilization and freezing embryos for retro-production, and surrogate pregnancy.

Countries Associated with Medical Tourism

It is worth stating again that one of the major causes of medical tourism is the relative cost of undergoing a certain medical procedure. For instance, carrying out a liver transplant surgery costs about $250,000 in United States compared to that of Taiwan which costs about $90,000 USD. Another major reason is the lack of adequate health care facilities and services.

As a result, more of medical tourists come from places like Europe, the US, Canada, Japan and the Middle East. Health service providers from such countries stand the chances of losing billions of dollars revenue.

In the same vein, the countries where medical tourists usually consider for medical procedures include India, Jordan, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand, South Korea, Tunisia, Argentina, Israel, Ukraine, and New Zealand.

Potential Risk of Medical Tourism

It is quite vital for medical tourists to be well aware of the risks involved in seeking health care in some other countries. This will help to determine what could be done so as to minimize or eliminate the risk factors of medical tourism.

1. Low level of expertise of some health-care service providers. There have been cases where some even practice outside of their field. This is highly risky.
2. Low health-care standards. Some countries other than First World have low standards in the health sector.
3. Lack of proper Health Insurance Scheme in some Medical Procedures.
4. The possible risk of post-operation complications after tourists’ return to home countries.
5. Lack of physical contact with the physician after medical care for essential medical check-up.

Factors Responsible for Medical tourism

1. High cost of health-care service. In fact, one of the major reason why medical tourist travel from First World countries to other places is as result of the high cost of health-care services.

2. Convenience and speed. In countries like US and UK unlike in some other countries, many health care services require long waiting times before the medical procedures are embarked on.

3. There is advanced medical technology in many countries today. Many countries are taking advantage of medical tourism by providing high standards of health care services.

4. Lack of local health-care services on certain medical problems. For instance, a medical tourist may seek help for in-vitro reproduction in a foreign country if it is not available in his own country.

From the foregoing, the views held by individuals about medical tourism are not the same at all. Some people from First World countries see it as a risky medical alternative. However, since many countries are now taking to advanced medical technology, some still consider that it is worth doing.

http://www.aetda.com/some-facts-on-medical-tourism/

Medical Tourism Resource Online
http://mmedsolution.com/

The Intersection of Health Care and Medical Trave

Posted on 6 February 2012 in Uncategorized by admin

The consideration of change in how health care is delivered is a new road with an intersection of need, health care, travel and competition

Your friend mentions that they shop at a new store because the pricing and quality is better. When you get in your car to drive to the store and purchase your groceries you follow the same routine that you follow on a regular basis. The thought of going past your old grocery store to a different store at a lesser cost and higher quality comes to mind, but it is a longer drive and you have never been in that store before.

This same concept applies to health care, hospitals, and physicians, you feel comfortable with your past ways and familiarization. To go outside this normality seems like a lot of unnecessary effort. If you have no other choice because of the cost, lack of access or treatment specialty the concept of medical travel is more appealing.

Health care reform is going to inspire physicians, health systems and hospitals to look at alternative ways of delivering their medical product,” said Nick Christos, Chief Marketing Officer of Elite Underwriting Insurance (one of the largest providers of reinsurance and stop loss to self funded employers, in a interview with the Medical Tourism Association.

http://www.mtmweb.biz/blog/2012/the-intersection-of-health-care-and-medical-travel/

Medical Tourism Resource Online
http://mmedsolution.com/

Emerging Growth Area Medical Tourism Persian Gulf Iran

Posted on 1 February 2012 in Uncategorized by admin

Medical tourism in the Muslim world with a twist. Because this year, experts not only from the Islamic countries, but also from the West are giving insight on how best to prop up medical tourism in the developing nations, specially in the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Speaking to Press TV, on the final day of the Second International Conference on Health Tourism in Iran’s city of Mashhad, the experts also talked about the challenges faced by medical tourism.

VO: At the end of the two-day event, the participants signed cooperation MoUs to help set up health tourism branches in the OIC member states. These centers will help coordinate the trends of medical tourism development and organize annual meetings in collaboration with the Secretariat of Islamic Health Tourism Association in Iran.

http://presstv.com/detail/216809.html

Medical Tourism Resource Online
http://mmedsolution.com/