Editorial

What Happened at Congress 2008 Stays at Congress 2008.See you in 2009

Editorial

In recapping the highlights of the First World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress 2008, we would characterize the four day event as abuzz with chatter from morning to night, delegates participating in the whirlwind of formal networking sessions & connecting informally in hallways, lounges and during receptions.  All the while, speakers knowledge & panelist medical tourism experience, along with exhibitor content transferred at a continuous stream during the program’s daily agenda.

To say that the Medical Tourism Association’s 1st World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress was an absolute success because it was completely sold out with over 850 delegates, fifty plus exhibitors/sponsors, and attendees representing over 45 countries is our official view.  However, unlike other medical tourism industry-wide conferences, these metrics represent actual headcounts not adjusted or inflated and this was just the beginning.  


Delegates, exhibitors and sponsors alike have indicated that the value of the Congress meeting went beyond sheer numbers representing a wide range of perspectives; it was in the quality and quantity of interaction and exchange available to all who attended this inaugural Congress.  And furthermore, contracts between hospitals, healthcare providers and facilitators were signed on the spot at this event.

Advanced Seminars – Guidance from the Field

The advanced seminar sessions were extremely informative to all delegates involved in medical tourism.  The landmark panel sessions included speakers such as Dr. Joseph Heyman, who serves as Chairman – Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, Dr. David Preble from the American Dental Association and Dr. Michael McGuire from the American Society for Plastic Surgeons who all spoke for the first time about their respective associations’ guidelines and views on medical and dental tourism.  


With over 85 speakers present, all three days of Congress proceedings provided delegates with useful, relevant and current information to many of their challenges in driving respective medical tourism agendas forward.

Delegates expressed significant appreciation for panelists Colleen DePadua of Black & Decker, Sandra Morris of Procter & Gamble and Peter Hayes of Hannaford Brothers who made up the Employer panel session.  In addition to providing some context about their respective organizations involvement in medical tourism, they each spoke and addressed issues related to the benefits and challenges of medical tourism inclusive of concerns over quality of care and patient safety.

Congress Post-Survey

MTA engaged the network of delegates at this 1st Congress in a comprehensive survey about this inaugural session’s proceedings, with an eye towards expanding next year’s agenda and Congress into an even more meaningful event for all attendees.  In keeping with our MTA mission of serving as an unbiased source of information and education for our membership network, we strive to continue improving this Congress as a communications forum within the medical tourism industry.

Fast forward to the 2nd World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress

Our 2nd Congress will double in numbers with over 90 exhibitors and sponsors, and between 1,200 to 2,000 attendees.  We look forward to bringing a significant increase in the number of insurance companies and employers present at the 2nd World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress.  


This Congress will be held in Los Angeles, which holds the honor of being the second largest city in the USA, and home to the largest number of insurance companies here.  Finally, this 2nd Congress will also focus heavily on advancing issues towards solution around continuation of quality of care, patient safety, quality of care in medical tourism.

Industry Regulation & Medical Tourism Facilitator Certification

Due to overwhelming requests from delegates as to how MTA would be addressing regulatory challenges within the industry, we respond as such.  While the MTA is not a regulatory agency, in serving as the medical industry’s trade association group globally, we hold a view towards fostering transparency and best practices in the industry.

Many industry leaders and medical tourism organizations who are doing things the “right way” with an eye towards patient care & safety, are very concerned about individuals improperly engaged in medical tourism.  With practically no barriers to entry, for example, medical facilitators who do not have good procedures in place could cause undue harm to potential patients seeking medical tourism services yet unaware of necessary precautions pre and post care.  Hospitals, clinics or individual medical practitioners that do not hold a high quality of care focus on patient safety could well compromise a patient’s actual procedure and care.

We anticipate next year’s 2nd World Congress will further bring to light this need for industry self-regulation, and the opportunity to create transparency in medical quality, patient safety and care processes for all involved as one aspect of the industry’s best practices.  


Finally, MTA is working and will be releasing it’s medical facilitators certificate program shortly; we will continue to develop this program and it will be an agenda item for the 2nd World Congress.  MTA’s certificate program under development incorporates over one year’s work with the majority of the industry’s leading medical facilitators, hospitals and medical tourism industry leaders from around the world.

We thank you for attending this year’s inaugural 1st World Congress, we are here to support and assist in your medical tourism endeavors.  See you next year in the “City of Angels” – Los Angeles, California October 26-28, 2009 at the 2nd World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress!

Jonathan Edelheit is President of the Medical Tourism Association with a long history in the healthcare industry, providing third party administration services for fully insured, self-funded and mini-medical plans to large employers groups.

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