Patient experience is based in part upon the quality of the services, good medical outcomes and good value for the patient. For each patient there are different factors which will weigh heavier in their decision making process. In the end, the value proposition and delivery must be completely to their satisfaction. We can take the words of people in the industry – good and bad – in an effort to improve upon this patient experience. This is the crux of the ability for growth.

We need to take steps to do it through training, education, sharing of data, reassessment and development. There is little productivity offered in badmouthing or discrediting people or organizations. Whether numbers sound better because they have been paid for or whether someone is perceived to be an expert is irrelevant. Evident biases and obvious personal opinions interjected prior to any comment inevitably discredits what is attempted to be offered anyway and certainly does not provide what is needed for us as professionals to build sustainable business models. I believe this is what most of us are looking to achieve?

There are experts in every part of the chain of service. Professionalism is expected at all stops along the patient management process. And then there are those few that stand on the sidelines making observations. Those who have never assisted a patient inquiry, attended to a patient, received a patient complaint and helped them through a nightmare experience – those groups may not be the best fit for building stepping stones. From the inquiries received daily from patients, together with complaints about providers and services, and in some cases reports of preventable bad outcomes, you can really see where the needs of the industry are essentially not being met. Ranking on a facilitator’s top ten list of countries should not be the primary goal. Delivering good patient outcomes should be.

My recent blog post specifically was a call for standardization of metrics and collection of data and for a better attitude. MTA has never provided a report of the number of patients traveling specifically because they are not standardized enough to benchmark country to country. We do not create our own numbers, and we do not hold value in published numbers from less than credible sources. We also do not “froth at the mouth” when we hear numbers disputed as we regularly dispute them ourselves. It will come – in due time and until then, we advise our partners to keep their information and reporting flowing, as the industry really needs it.

There are plenty of available academic reports from trusted peer reviewed journals, which have been reviewed and can be found on the MTA member’s pages of our website. There is however a lack of implementation of the metrics recommended therein and, accordingly, a call for action should be reiterated.

Obstacles should be used as stepping stones and progress should be made. We are taking what we have learned from the patients to put best practices in place at the healthcare provider level. We organize educational workshops in cities throughout the US for employers and recognize the need for education to their employees of not only opportunities to travel for healthcare, but also the need for education about prevention which inevitably provides for opportunity in advance or instead of “last resort care.” We have developed an official lobbying organization called International Healthcare Consumers Coalition to lobby the US government for reimbursement of overseas healthcare services for Medicare as a starting point. We created alliances for consumer education through very large consumer networks. As a trade association, this is for the benefit of the industry as a whole.  We cannot act as a trade association and patient advocacy as it may create conflicts of interests. However, by operating under best practices, we as members of the trade association, providers of healthcare, stakeholders and facilitators, need to be the advocates for patients by giving them the best care. Let’s not lose sight of that most important fact which can get lost in all the “murky water.”

And for David whose response to my blog post was that of Stonehenge and Druids imagery  – brilliant, I see it as well. These are progressive times and what we leave behind in healthcare should not be a mystery. Not much was known about the Druids as they were nomadic and did not leave anything behind. So I suppose perhaps a good take away is that we all should to do something to leave a meaningful and impressionable mark – not only for own benefit, but directly or indirectly in the lives of the patients and their families.

The Caribbean’s emerging health tourism industry in the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica and other countries may soon come under close foreign scrutiny. That’s going to happen when some Canadian researchers begin studying study the facilities and quality of service being provided to patients from some of the world’s richest nations when they turn to Caribbean destinations for health care services.

But the Caribbean isn’t alone in being placed under an academic microscope. Canada’s Simon Fraser University which established a Medical Tourism Research Group four years ago is sending some health professors and other researchers to Mongolia, India and Guatemala during the next year to study what the countries are offering foreign patients, the risks involved and how the growing sector is impacting on local health care services.

The Caribbean’s emergence caught the eyes of Canadians generally and health professors and researchers in particular when a group of American investors decided to transform an old unused hospital in Barbados into a modern facility designed to serve foreign and local patients. In addition, fertility centers have opened their doors or are being planned in different destinations to attract couples from Britain, North America and elsewhere for treatment so they can have children; and offshore medical schools have continued their operations in Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Maarten and other islands san American offshore medical schools with eyes on Caribbean and foreign students, the medical tourism industry is attracting increasing attention abroad. And that high visibility has raised questions about risks, services and challenges.

“Patients from more economically developed countries are flocking to developing countries to receive treatment for everything from elective cosmetic procedures to complex surgeries such as organ transplants and reproductive treatment, controversial stem cell procedures and multiple sclerosis liberty treatment,” Simon Fraser University said on its website. “The medical tourism industry is booming. But there is a surprising lack of academic research into the industry size, the ethics and risks of medical tourism, and the effects it can have on developing countries and local health services.”

As examples of what has stirred its interest in what are being called “patients without borders,” the University cited the case of Barbados which is being used by American investors to recruit “U.S. and Canadian physicians to buy time-share style membership in a renovated hospital and bring their patients there for surgery.”

Then there is Chennai, India, which was attracting “Canadians in surprising numbers” seeking orthopaedic surgery in order to bypass wait lines at home and procedures not readily available in Canada such as hip resurfacing, SFU stated.

“We found that many Canadians are relying on informal testimonies and anecdotal information from the internet to make important decisions for surgical care,” said Dr. Valorie Crooks, a Simon Fraser University associate professor of health geography.

“I think people would be surprised to know that people are choosing to go abroad for medical care more often that’d think,” added Professor Crooks whose team will also examine the role of caregivers and the impact of medical tourism on local health care in developing countries.

“There’s a lot of public discussion of wait times as the reason people go abroad for surgery, but from a our research we know the things prompting Canadians to go abroad are much more diverse,” added Crooks.

Simon Fraser University’s studies in the Caribbean and other countries are being financed by a (Canadian) $520,000 grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health.

“There’s a lot of speculation that medical tourism is great for locals because it brings in money and jobs,” said Prof. Crooks, “But on the other hand it shifts the focus to high-end surgeries and facilities for treating international patients. There is very little evidence one way or another to prove these two theories.”

Hence the need for the studies.

SFU which is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, has about 30,000 students, 100,000 alumni and almost 3,000 faculty and staff. It’s often described as a “student-centered,” research driven, community engaged” tertiary level educational institution that engages the world.

The Bahamas is moving to attract foreign patients, Jamaica has made plans to follow suit and Barbados is up and running with its plan to link foreign patients to the conventional tourism industry which has been under pressure due to the global economic downturn.

By Tony Best

A new study funded by Cancer Research UK found that breast cells that turned cancerous could be categorized in about 10 different types of diseases.

A team of researchers led by Professor Carlos Caldas analyzed frozen breast samples from 2,000 women, looking at the genetics of the cells and how they morphed to become cancerous.  Depending whether the cells mutated, became inactive or became overactive, a different treatment would be recommended.

The study is still in its early stages so it hospitals will not be applying it in their treatments just yet.  The new process is expected to not be into effect for another three to five years.  Still, this finding could be revolutionary because by grouping different cases of breast cancer, more customized treatment and medication will be prescribed which will increase the probability of survival. This finding could even set a new precedent in categorizing other types of cancers in the future.

This is not a topic discussed as often as it should be. What can people in the medical tourism industry do to solve this crisis? What are people already doing?

Sure, the news sometimes features stories about medical tourism and yes many people have at least heard of it. But in almost every case where I have personally talked to someone I know about this industry they have never heard of it, aside from some of the horror stories blasted in the news. They do not know the legitimacy of this industry and all the things it has to offer.

What is the MTA doing?

Www.MedicalTourism.com is the MTA’s consumer based website, it is designed to assist a potential medical tourist in the research process of planning a trip. The site features:

• Details about certain destinations such as, hotels, airlines, currency, entrance requirements and more
• Price chart comparisons per procedure
• The latest news stories in the industry
• The MTAs  membership directory, so patients can see who we work with and possibly contact them directly
• Full versions of the Health & Wellness Destination Guides

The Destination Guides are designed with the consumer in mind, it features, clinical listings, tourism activities and even gives a guide to how much a patient should budget for a medical trip to that destination.  CVB’s are highly involved in the production of this guide, as they have direct access to the consumers.

There are many more initiatives the MTA is involved in, but there needs to something more!

For the next issue the Medical Tourism Magazine, I am planning to write an article on this topic. I would like to speak with several different people in the industry and find out what they are doing, why they are not doing anything and what do they think would have the greatest impact on increasing consumer awareness and how can it be achieved?

If anyone is interested in contributing some thoughts on this topic, please let me know! Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

On April 25^th and 26^th, 2012 the 5^th German-Arab Health Forum will be held at Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich. The organizer, Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Public Health expect more than 300 high-ranking Arab and German participants from business and politics.

The Health sector in the Arab World is changing by high population growth, increasing life expectancy and therefore a massive investment. Not least the strong presence at Arab Health 2012 in Dubai shows the interest of the German Healthcare system in the Arab World.

Special emphasis on the upcoming Forum will be on hospital planning, construction and operation, medical technology, rehabilitation and staff training and education, health tourism and pharmaceuticals as well as exploration of upcoming business opportunities in numerous Arab countries and Germany. Region-specific sessions concerning the GCC States on the one hand and the North African region on the other hand will also be discussed.

Guest of Honor and keynote speaker of the Forum is Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Al- Hussein, Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority. A keynote speech will be also held by the Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr as well as by the Bavarian State Minister of the Environment and Public Health Dr. Marcel Huber.

For more information about the forum, flight- and hotel booking please visit our homepage www.health.ghorfa.de.

Many countries are taking an active role in developing themselves as medical tourism destinations.  In order to better develop and focus their efforts, many have chosen conduct a feasibility study.  A recent example of this is the country of Lithuania.  Lithuania is setting up a healthcare cluster through the support of the Ministry of Economy and Enterprise Lithuania, the export organization for the country.  The feasibility study that they recently conducted for their medical and health tourism development and export promotion services suggested that clustering is the best way to efficiently utilize the available resources.  All stakeholders are joining efforts to achieve a common goal which is to promote Lithuania as a Baltic-Nordic destination for medical tourism.

Has your country conducted a feasibility study as part of its medical tourism efforts? 

Please share your experiences with the MTA team and the other readers by commenting on this post.  You can also email me directly at Amelia@MedicalTourismCongress.com.  We at the MTA are always looking for successful case studies to be presented at the 5^th World Medical Tourism and Healthcare Congress.  Learning from the experiences of others is the only way the industry can grow at its full potential.

Research and actionable intelligence is at the core of any industry. Without it, no industry players can make informed or intelligent decisions.  It holds back growth and opportunity. Without it, there is no transparency and no one knows what is really happening in international healthcare.

What’s with the “Gloomsday” Files?

We all have been waiting for some updated credible numbers and statistics to come to light. Credible sources such as McKinsey, Deloitte and Ernst and Young have left us less than satisfied as statistics from their reports fade quickly in the distance. It’s injurious that the research reports from experienced organizations such as these have suffered from the complexity of the medical tourism industry and lack of authenticated information.

To add insult to injury,  biased (perhaps vindictive) and financially motivated (perhaps financially distressed) freelancers writers, so called experts and bloggers conduct “surveys” reportedly holding the only golden ticket of knowledge of industry trends and purported conclusions.

The latest pontification from a bystander concludes that the numbers of U.S. patients inbound to the U.S. is the same as the numbers outbound, which is a stab in the back of medical tourism.  It further identifies cosmetic and dental treatment as the largest procedures sought.  Well, no kidding.  Not news to anyone that baby boomers are the largest demographic of people living longer and wanting to look better and therefore feel better for the rest of their lives.

In the U.S., the hospitals treating international patients have their own definition of what international patients are, much like the rest of the world.  And never do those definitions meet.  In fact, a coalition of over 120 academic medical centers in the U.S. has been standardizing this definition and gathering statistics from member hospitals for several years now with no publishable numbers to boast of.  That being said, no survey from overseas bloggers would ever contain credible data as to inbound or outbound care when the US hospitals as a group have not reported these numbers.

Other industry pundits have taken a turn for the worse in their own businesses and bring the dark rain upon the industry as a whole.  Everyone knows that medical tourism is both a regional and global industry for the very same reasons.  Patients are searching for value.  The value proposition consists of better quality, affordability, accessibility, availability plus the perception of the destination for tourism.  This means if it is desirable, safe and provides value, it is open for consideration.  Surely some people may choose to go to a destination closer rather than further away, however, opportunity waits in many markets as a long term strategic marketing approach.  The groundwork laid today will be harvestable in the future.  Is the goal of your facility to have a regional brand or an international one?  Diversity and smart investment over a long term period of time can assure both.

Wouldn’t it be wise to bury the “gloomsday” files into the “rubbish” files along with the rest of the negativity if the industry is to grow?  Wouldn’t it be fruitful to do something productive for a change – add solid stepping stones instead of creating stumbling blocks in the growth of the Medical Tourism Industry?

U.S. Healthcare Market Potential

It is also interesting to note that the U.S. healthcare market is extraordinarily developing in its education process about overseas healthcare opportunities.  The key is education and communication.  Medical tourism remains a new concept for employers and employees. The idea of traveling abroad seems seductive to employees and attractive to employers who are seeking cheaper healthcare.  “American Apparel is strongly researching about it,” American Apparel benefits manager Jacqueline Madrigal said. “I think lots of employers are going to look outside the box.”

“I have employees asking me about it (medical tourism), I received letters and e-mails,” Madrigal said.

However, the medical tourism concept at first sight can appear hostile to a lot of people. In that way, according to Midwest Group on Health, President and CEO Larry Boress, employers should promote their medical tourism program and educate employees about it.  “Employees don’t understand how lower care can still be high quality just by traveling,” Boress said. “But they need information and motivation.”

According to him, the biggest failures happen when the employees don’t have enough information or trust about medical tourism. That can include peers testimonials or credible sources of information.

Global Benefits Underserved

Global Benefits is another underserved area for consideration.  “From our client work, we are not seeing many domestic carriers cater to medical tourism.  What we are seeing are international insurance companies embrace medical tourism as a way to add yet another service in their portfolio of products.  Most insurers are targeting high net worth clients with packages that provide for and cover part or in whole, needed medical procedures outside their country of residence,” said David Bryan, president of the Global Benefits Association.

It is clear there is much road to be paved through these international insurance fields which provides ample opportunity for all involved and certainly provides opportunity for investment and growth.  In the end, transparency in terms of quality, pricing, education and communication are the keys to a solid foundation in the international healthcare arena.  For this reason MTA combines its annual World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress with the Global Benefits Association’s annual event.  The overlap provides opportunity to tie the internationalization of healthcare of today with the global benefits programs of the future.

There are a lot of changes going on and new initiatives being put into place all in search of finding the best way to implement this concept of traveling for medical care. Conferences are being held, facilities are being built, deals are being made, target markets are getting defined and countries/regions are combining forces with hospitals, tourism boards and governments and branding themselves as a destination for healthcare, it is no more a standalone hospital promoting how great their dental/cosmetic procedures are.

Hospitals are not throwing out a “wide net” and expecting to just bring in patients. They realize it will take time and intelligent marketing to really see results in patient flow and revenue. The generalization of the industry may have been a thing of the past, but now defining a target market seems to be the best idea.

It is really great to be a part of a progressive industry which ties together so many aspects of healthcare and benefits.  This industry has already shown great results in terms of more PPP activities and improvement of quality healthcare services across the globe. The growth of Medical Tourism will only bring positive results from many sectors including healthcare, travel, tourism, support industry and insurance sector.  Some “experts” say that insurers are not interested in medical tourism.  It is not only unqualified observation; it’s also like stabbing the back of medical tourism growth.  In reality, such blanket remarks demonstrates the difference between those who are actively a part of building the industry on a solid foundations and those who sit behind the crumbling walls filling their moats with dirty water.

Dear experts, wake up, open your eyes and accomplish something of value, whether it is from a B-B or B-C level.  You all have your respective roles essential to this building process.  In the end, it is all about the patient and customer experience.  For those who use solid stepping stones, I commend you for your hard work and achievements, future is with you.  For the peanut gallery, we hope you will be able to jump over your own stumbling blocks, and if you can’t here is the suggestion: at least turn stumbling blocks to stepping stones.

Renée-Marie Stephano is a Founder and the President of the Medical Tourism Association, also known as MTA, which is the first association in the medical tourism industry with an active membership base. MTA is an international non-profit trade association based upon three underlying tenets: transparency in the quality and pricing of healthcare, education and communication. Ms. Stephano also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Medical Tourism Magazine, Health Tourism Magazine, and the Healthcare Development Magazine.

Gastric Balloon implantation is fairly new procedure that was first introduced in Canada in 2006. The procedure involves a liquid filled balloon placed into the stomach of the patient through the esophagus for the duration of approximately six months. The bag takes up about a third of the room in the stomach so the patient can eat less and not feel hungry. The procedure takes about 30 minutes to perform and the patient is discharged the same day to return home.

Who is an ideal patient?

Although it is a temporary solution compared to other stomach altering surgical procedures, the less invasive nature of the procedure may make it a better option for those who don’t want the drastic surgery like gastric bypass for example. It is also ideal for overweight people whose BMI is not high enough for gastric bypass or lap band. Although it is a non-invasive procedure, there are still potential risks to take under consideration. Some patients reported shortness of breath, chest pains, nausea, gradual gain of previous large appetite, noises in the stomach, heartburn, ill smelling gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Although rare, the balloon can also rupture and harm the intestines which can be life-threatening. A patient will know if a rupture occurs because since usually the liquid inside the balloon is blue, his/her urine will be green.

Where is it offered?

Americans are looking into this as a weight loss option but the procedure is not offered in the states just yet. This is because clinical trials are required before the FDA approves any procedure. It is available in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, South America and other parts of the world so patients may need to travel abroad for this alternative method.

How much does it cost?

The gastric balloon costs approximately $6,000 total for its implantation and removal, including sedation during both processes. This is significantly less than bypass which can run up to $32,000 in the U.S. and lap band which is approximately $29,000.

Is it worth it?

Some patients that had the balloon implanted are upset because they did not get the results they expected. They believed the amount of weight they lost was not enough to have gone under the procedure and deal with the side effects. In a UK discussion board thread about the procedure, a few even mentioned they wished they had gained weight so their BMI was high enough to get gastric bypass since the balloon did not provide the drastic results they hoped for. Others seem to have a favorable experience. They possible had more realistic outlook on the process and chose to be cautious of their diet and exercise regime. The range varies from 10 pounds to over 50 pounds.

It will be interesting to see when and if the FDA chooses to approve this procedure since it has been receiving mixed reviews from patients abroad that have had gone through the process.

El nuevo hospital publico Juan Carlos de Mostoles esta integrado en un entorno, luminoso, ordenado, sostenible y muy cercano que aspira a ser un referente en la relación con el paciente. La confianza será el principal indicador de que se alcanza la excelencia y un motivo de satisfacción para todos los profesionales implicados en el proyecto.

El hospital de Mostoles que posee la mas avanzada tecnologia sanitaria, fue inaugurado recientemente por los Reyes de España y la Presidenta de la Comunidad de Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, y cuenta con una amplia gama de especialidades quirurgicas, medicas y servicios centrales.

Cabe destacar el diseño innovador del hospital que toma ventaja de los espacios abiertos y la luminosidad para crear un entorno placentero para el paciente que ayuda a su rapida recuperacion. El estudio arquitectonico, Rafael de la Hoz Arquitectos esta detras de este proyecto que aspira a ser un modelo de referencia a nivel internacional.

This year the number of people globally with dementia stands at 35.6 million. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, there will be 65 million people with dementia and by the middle of the century 115 million people will be affected by this.  More than half of the people with dementia come from low-to-middle-income nations, and that number is expected to keep increasing.

Along with the rising numbers of dementia patients, also are the numbers rising in dollars spent on caring and treating for these patients.  In many cases, it is not just the patient that is unable to work, but their caregivers have to give up their jobs. As of right now $604 billion is spent each year worldwide on dementia.

The WHO and Alzheimer’s Disease International published a report called “Dementia: a public health priority.” This report illustrates the importance of diagnosing this early. Currently eight countries have an active national program to address the issue of dementia.  In most cases this is diagnosed once the disease is already in late stages. Authors of the report say that these programs should focus on better early diagnosis, improving public awareness, reducing stigma and providing better support for the caregivers.

The issue with the caregivers is that the majority of the time they are the patient’s relatives or friends. As the primary caregiver, they are more likely to develop health issues of their own such as anxiety, depression and poor physical health.  The pressure of taking on this role is incredibly stressful.  As mentioned before many have to give up their jobs, so in addition to constantly caring for someone they are also suffering economically.

So when designing programs to effectively aid dementia patients, it is recommended that the caregivers be highly involved to insure proper support for themselves and the patient.  The more the caregiver knows about helping the patient and the more assistance they have will help to extend the time the patient can remain at home. The costs of an assisted living facility can become very high.

This issue is like so many others in every industry today. Finding a way to improve something before it gets worse and becomes more costly just makes sense.  35 million is a significant amount of people and $604 billion is a significant amount of money.

Read full article here