I have been given the opportunity to work from Mexico for two months, I am in my third week and already I have had two medical experiences. The city I am in is called Manzanillo in the state of Colima which is about four hours away from Guadalajara. Manzanillo is, located on the Pacific Ocean and is the home of one of Mexico’s busiest ports. It is also home to some beautiful beaches! I am fortunate enough to be staying right on the beach called La Audiencia.

1^st experience

On my lunch break one day I decided to accompany a friend while he took his boss, an elderly woman from Texas to the dentist.  I really wanted to see what a dental office in Mexico looked like! His boss and her husband came here on their honeymoon 50 years ago and decided to retire here. She told me that the decision was easy because it was beautiful and they could afford a full time caretaker (which her health requires) and maid for her.

We entered a two story building that did not have an elevator, so getting her up the stairs was a challenge. Once we entered the small but well equipped dental office there was air conditioning and two friendly dental assistants. Her appointment this day was to have a root canal. Once the procedure began she became very scared, so the dentist to my surprise starting talking to her in English and asked the assistant to hold her hand the entire time. Once the appointment was over I asked the dentist where she learned to speak English and if she had to do it often with her job. She informed me that several of her patients are retirees from the U.S. and they live here six months out of the year so she gets to practice her English often. She also told me that most of them pay in cash and then request a letter from her dental practice which is used for reimbursement in the U.S. I found this very interesting because I was hearing firsthand about people retiring abroad so they can afford the care and style of living that they need, which is a highly discussed topic in medical tourism! Overall, I was impressed with this medical experience and would have no concerns about having dental work done there myself.

Click here to read an article about baby boomers and retiring abroad.

2^nd experience

My next medical experience happened when I was going to a local clinic to try and get a prescription. The wait was more than 50 people long, all packed in the waiting room with no air conditioning. It was so long I didn’t even wait I just left. I know that Mexico has social security, meaning everyone gets healthcare at some level, so I starting asking around if this was a clinic that mostly treated patients who had healthcare through social security and the answer I got was yes.  There were older men and women, children and several pregnant women standing in line to be treated. I can imagine a lot of people putting off going to the doctor because of the wait and the heat. But, I still needed my prescription. After doing some research and asking around I found out that I could just go to the pharmacy and pick up the medicine I needed.  I went to the local pharmacy, Farmacia Guadalajara (which I believe is a franchise) and showed them the pill bottle that I brought from the U.S.; luckily they carried the same type of medicine I needed. I paid $60 pesos which is roughly $5 USD and I was out the door! The medicine I needed was for something very common and that I didn’t really need to see a doctor for. In order for me to get that same prescription in the U.S, I have to request time off of work because no doctors’ offices are open on Saturdays, pay the $40 USD co-pay for my appointment and finally pay around $20 USD to get my prescription filled. Whether this is the right or wrong way to do things, I do not know. But I do know that this simple and common medicine that I needed was given to me quick and inexpensive!

The view from where I am working right now.

Just a reminder that the 25th issue of the Medical Tourism Magazine has been released! The theme of this issue is Navigation Towards Opportunity. Each article in this issue illustrates what a country, insurance company, hospital, government or a new unique industry is doing to promote, improve, initiate or overcome challenges they face. For those examples without a direct relation to medical tourism, look at it from another prospective to see how it could fit in. Do not underestimate the possibilities.

Some of the topics include:

• Free Healthcare Zones-Maximize the Potential

• Cruising to Better Health- New Medical Treatments at Sea

• Medical Tourism and the Destinations Country’s Poor

• Japan- Realizing Medical Tourism Potential

• Medical Tourism -Entering the Educational System

The next issue of the magazine will be the Pre-Congress issue that will be printed and distributed at the event, please let me know if you have some interest in participation! Don’t miss the chance to be featured in one of the largest issues of the year!

After speaking to some people recently, the idea of attracting international patients to their area seems impossible so they just write off the concept of medical tourism. But, maybe they should consider domestic medical tourism to begin with.

I have spoken to a few tourism boards from small counties lately and they all say what great tourism offerings they have and when I ask about the healthcare they can usually list at least one local facility off hand that specializes in something. So why not start there? The tourism board could partner with the one or more local healthcare facilities and maybe a few hotels to begin with. They can create a small partnership agreement and see how it works.

I’m sure most patients covered by health insurance do not really consider going to a different state or county to receive treatment.  In most cases it is probably because they don’t really know a lot about it, not everyone does extensive research before getting a procedure. But, if they have the same coverage in another state and they can afford a trip, then why wouldn’t they be interested? Depending of course on the procedure they need.  This is where I see the opportunity for small counties to shine.  The example that keeps coming to my mind is relaxing at a wine vineyard in some small town, while recovering from a minimally invasive procedure. Some of these smaller places will be quieter, quaint and have unique features.  This way the patient could enjoy recovering and so could the companion they bring along. Even if a patient has a procedure in their home town, they typically have a friend or family member to assist them during the recovery process; this is the chance for the companion to enjoy the recovery time also.

A clear marketing plan needs to be put in place, and once the destination has been established or has seen results from their efforts then they could take it to another level, in the medical tourism industry, possibilities are endless!  The Medical Tourism Association has a Destination Branding Program in place that could assist smaller destinations in finding the right marketing strategy for them.  The point is, there are so many aspects to this industry and new ideas are always being implemented, do not get scared off at the thought of your small destination trying to attract all these patients from all over the world. Just start off at a comfortable level.  The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress would be a good starting point to learn all about the industry from the experts!

If anyone else is interested in this idea, please let me know!

Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

In April the Medical Tourism Association™ (MTA) traveled to Los Angeles for the annual International Pow Wow, which brings in more than 1,000 U.S. travel organizations and 1,200 international and domestic travel buyers from more than 70 countries all for the purpose of generating revenue in the future from USA travel.  The MTA has been working with tourism boards, travel agents, hotels and others from all around the world to assist in making the connection between tourism and healthcare. Inbound medical tourism to the U.S. is becoming more of a focus for the MTA and those that are interested in increasing patients and tourism revenue in their area. This event marked the launch of the first global marketing campaign to attract international travelers to the U.S.

Brand USA was established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010 which was passed as a way to start the nation’s first global marketing effort to promote the U.S. as a premier travel destination and communicate U.S. entry/exit policies and procedures.  The Act established a public-private partnership between the travel industry and the U.S. government in efforts to drive job creation and spur economic growth.

“Our goal is nothing short of rekindling the world’s love affair with the USA- the place, the spirit and the dream,” said Jim Evans, CEO of Brand USA at a press conference hosted by the Pow Wow. “We want to spread America’s message of welcome around the world and invite travelers to experience the limitless possibilities the United States has to offer.”

This is the first time the since the USA was founded that the country has had a nationally coordinated effort dedicated to inviting tourists to visit.

“Visit USA associations and committees did a great job of doing what they could to attract visitors, but they are a membership organization so their funding was somewhat limited,” said Chris Perkins, CMO for Brand USA in an interview with the MTA.  “Now we can collaborate with them and the industry to have a clear and consistent message.”

One of their first calls-to-action as a way to spread the word was to develop an anthem. Rosanne Cash, daughter of American music legend Johnny Cash, composed an original song titled “Land of Dreams.” As part of its marketing efforts Brand USA will extend invitations to musical artists from around the world to come and perform their music in their favorite U.S. cites as well as profiling their trips and favorite things about the USA online and through social media. The anthem is available at DiscoverAmerica.com.

“It’s about having an integrated campaign; the anthem is just a part of it. We will be doing trade shows, FAM Tours and have special promotions in key markets,” said Perkins.

One of their main initiatives is the USA All Access, which is a syndicated television series where the original content will be created by notable people from all over the world sharing experiences of their favorite places to go in the U.S.

They have an advertising campaign that launched May 1^st in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada which will last for three months followed by advertising in Brazil and South Korea. This advertising will take place on television, billboards, print ads, and a huge social media presence.

Since inbound medical tourism is developing more and more attention, this national marketing effort can only benefit this niche industry. This is the perfect opportunity for medical facilities in the U.S. to take every step in branding themselves as leaders in U.S. healthcare. The MTA’s Destination Guide Series would be helpful in doing this as it is a comprehensive guide geared towards consumers, showcasing all the tourism and healthcare aspects of an area. This guide could help in getting one step ahead of others; it would show that a hospital or hotel is capable of handling international patients and tourists.

As of right now, Brand USA has no plans in place to market to people searching for medical care in the U.S.

“It is something that we have plans for the future to do, but we had to start first with the biggest market which is leisure travel, that said we believe even the brand advertising will put us on the map in a way that it hasn’t before,” said Perkins. “ Hopefully we will collaborate with medical tourism industry partners to help shine a light on what they already do in order  to promote that very unique kind of offering. “

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to a couple of conferences that were not directly related to medical tourism. Upon introducing myself and the Medical Tourism Association™ (MTA), the listeners interest was immediately sparked.  Most of these were either in the hospitality industry, a tourism board or even a translation service…I did not put a limit on the companies I was trying to attract. Some had never heard of it, others kind of knew what it was and some had even thought about implementing this as a new target market. The overall response I received was “how so I get involved in this industry on a smaller scale, in order to find out if it would work for my company?” Companies new to the industry are just looking to get more information and do some networking. At the office we receive several calls a month from people wanting to work in medical tourism but have no idea where to start. I’m sure that most people in this industry get similar inquiries…the MTA is the perfect platform for people to discover the ins and outs of this niche market.  Here are some things the MTA can offer for all the newcomers wanting to tap into this versatile and limitless industry.

Step 1 – Research

The MTA has books and magazines dedicated to educating readers with the most up to date information in the industry. Reading through some of this information could give you some insight on how you could become involved. I’ve given a few examples below.

This article provides a quick overview of the terms and markets for medical tourism.

This article gives an example how a company involved in the travel industry could implement this concept.

Many hospitals and clinics have or should have international patient departments in order to cater to the needs of a foreign patient, this article gives an example of why this is so vital to the success of the industry…it also serves as an example of another important market in this industry…language translation.

For more detailed information on these topics you can purchase the books written by the president of the MTA…an expert in medical tourism. 

Step 2 – Start networking and asking questions

The MTA has its own social network, Medical Tourism City…you can join this network and become connected to other experts and members of our association, find out what is going on and how others are actively participating.

Step 3 – Keep learning and networking!

The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress is the best way to maximize on knowledge and networking. It will also give you a chance to see just how huge this industry is. The Congress brings in around 2000 people from 87 different countries, including Ministers of Health, hospitals, doctors, buyers of healthcare, tourism boards, insurance companies and others. We invite experts to share best practices and case studies for the medical tourism industry.  The Congress also features advanced networking software which allows you to schedule one on one networking meetings, this is your opportunity to see who is coming and meet with them face to face to get all the information you need or a new possible business opportunity.  Take a look at our agenda to see the sessions and speakers for the 2012 Congress in South Florida.  Also, if you register before July 1^st you save $500 on the registration fee.

There are so many ways the MTA could assist you in becoming part of the medical tourism industry…please contact us if you or someone you know needs help in getting started!

Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

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

Once diagnosed with cancer, the next step is to immediately start treatment for this disease. But maybe that hasn’t been the best approach?

A study presented on April 3rd at the American Association for Cancer Research, conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, suggests that cancer survivors could benefit from a more comprehensive approach to their health, not just the cancer treatment. Results from this study showed that 776 cancer survivors died: fifty-one percent from cancer and 49 percent from other causes. Cardiovascular disease was the primary cause.

This study used data from 1,807 adult cancer survivors that participated in this survey between 1988 and 2004. They were followed for up to 17 years.  About 63.2 percent of men in the study and 66.9 percent of women had a cardiovascular condition, 58.7 percent of men and 62 percent of women had high blood pressure, and 61.3 percent of men and 70.5 percent of women had high cholesterol levels.

The study also showed that the longer patients survived after their initial diagnosis, the more likely they were to die from another disease: 32.8 percent died from another condition within five years of diagnosis, compared with 62.7 percent after 20 years.

“After the detection of cancer, clinicians and cancer survivors pay less attention to the prevention and treatment of other diseases and complications,” said study researcher Dr. Yi Ning, assistant professor of epidemiology and community health at Virginia Commonwealth University in an article by MSNBC. “We shouldn’t neglect other aspects of health because we are focused on cancer.”

In light of this new information, it will be interesting to see if the standard protocols are altered for newly diagnosed cancer patients.

It would also be interesting to hear if any other countries already have something like this in place.  If you know of or work at a facility that focuses on overall health of a cancer patient after diagnosis, surveys, success rates and methodology…this would be an interesting story! Please let me know if you have anything to add.

Read full article here.

Jim Yong Kim, a public health expert and president of Dartmouth College, will now serve as president of the World Bank.

The debate with having a doctor as president of the World Bank is that the majority of past presidents have been from the market and economics industry.

Since the new president is highly involved with public health, experts are concerned that he may be interested in dedicating more funds to causes such as HIV/AIDS, which was a huge part of development in the past, but the World Bank is trying to move away from that now. Public health is just not their strength.

“The United States loves to invest in public health,” says Todd Moss, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. “But we already have PEPFAR [the government’s AIDS relief program], and the U.S. Agency for International Development is already health-dominated.

Experts say that Kim may not be able to bring them back to health since the World Bank’s agenda is set by 187 shareholder countries and the Treasury Department might have no interest in that.

Another concern with having a president from the public health industry is that all decisions must be guided by economics and you have to realize that there is not an unlimited amount of resources for suffering people.

“I worry that too many doctors and public health experts, are resistant to this approach,” said William Easterly, a former World Bank economist.

Trying to pull Kim from the mind set of wanting to help everyone and not being as concerned with the cost could be a challenge since helping others is what he has been trained to do. On the other hand he could have a great strength in deciding where to allocate these limited funds for health care since he is familiar with the industry, probably more so than the economists that have held this position.

Read full article here. 

One day after a 14-year-old girl drank two 24-ounce energy drinks she went into cardiac arrest and died six days later.

She did have a common heart condition called mitral valve prolapsed, which typically doesn’t cause any problems.  Even with this condition the official cause of death documented was cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.

Perhaps if she did not have a heart condition, this wouldn’t have affected her.  This story serves as a good reminder about how much caffeine you, your children, friends, patients and clients are drinking every day.

Two 24-ounce cans of the Monster energy drink (the brand she drank) is 480 milligrams of caffeine, this was compared to drinking about 14 cans of coke.  That is nearly five times the limit recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

One argument to this story was that, maybe kids/teens shouldn’t be drinking energy drinks at all, yet the design and name of the drinks is made to be appealing to teens.

It is difficult to determine how much caffeine is actually in the drink, since the label does not require disclosure of the amount of caffeine.  The FDA regulates the amount in soda, but energy drinks are considered a dietary supplement and have no regulation. Even if it was on the label, chances are it wouldn’t get read.  Enforcing an age limit to buy these drinks could be something to consider, or at least make the design less flashy and appealing.

The fact that was really shocking was the increase in caffeine overdoses that emergency rooms across the country have been seeing. Numbers are up from 1,128 in 2005 to 16,055 in 2008 and 13,114 in 2009.

This is an issue in the U.S.; I would like to hear if any other countries around the world are experiencing this problem?

Read the full story here.

President of the MTA, Renee-Marie Stephano and CEO, Jonathan Edelheit flew out of Florida this morning to go share their expert advice at the International Medical Tourism Wellness & Spa Congress in Dead Sea- Jordan.

This is the second medical tourism conference held by the Private Hospitals Association, also the second that the MTA has collaborated on.

Ms. Stephano will be giving one of the keynote presentations at the start of the event, and later that day Mr. Edelheit will be part of a panel discussion on the topic of global healthcare.

Sunday will also be the day the Jordan Health & Wellness Destination Guide is unveiled to all attendees at the conference. The guide provides a comprehensive list of resources with more than 20 pages of clinical listings and over 60 pages of hotels and attractions. It was designed with the consumer in mind and compiles all of the options Jordan has to offer for health, wellness and tourism. This will be the second Destination Guide the MTA has released since the program began in 2011.  The MTA believes in supporting countries that have the potential and the drive to further this industry!

If you are interested in taking a last minute trip to Jordan, registration is still open.

Contact Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com with any comments or questions.