In the competitive medical tourism landscape, the power of patient testimonials and reviews cannot be overstated. These authentic stories are potent marketing tools that build trust, establish connections, and influence potential patients' decisions. Healthcare providers that harness the insights and experiences shared by satisfied patients enhance their marketing strategies and contribute to a more transparent and patient-centric medical tourism industry.
Sunbelt Health Partners has provided international receivables management services to providers around the world since 1994. We manage billions of dollars of hospitals’ international accounts receivable. Sunbelt continues to provide clients guidance and clarity through the many changes brought about by international healthcare consumers, international healthcare underwriters and networks, as well as the impact of U.S. based payers in the international marketplace.
Patients and health consumers are becoming more self-aware and more conscious of what quality healthcare delivery means. As a result, patients expect a certain level of quality along the care continuum that border on safety, transparency, swift and seamless communications, risk mitigation, and quality of care. If patients perceive a lack of commitment to these expectations, they might consider other destinations or providers to meet their needs.
The medical travel journey is complex and could be overwhelming for a medical tourist visiting a country for the first time. Patient advocates play an integral role in ensuring a seamless medical travel continuum by guiding medical tourists through the care journey and ensuring the receive the best care they can get. As patients become more intentional about their medical travel choices, patient advocacy is becoming a crucial point in medical travel, and one that has become a key differentiator in a highly competitive industry.
Patient experience is essential for every point of the care continuum, from departure to discharge; patients want a seamless medical journey as well as quality medical treatment and a relaxing post-treatment recovery period. Meeting patients at these touch points is a key to unlocking success in the medical tourism industry. GHA has a team of global experts and healthcare leaders to redirect organizations and businesses to meet patients’ needs effectively.
Patient care outcomes are heavily dependent on clear communication between health providers and patients. Accurate disease diagnosis depends on a clear and precise history taking, and treatment compliance is also strongly hinged on clear treatment instructions and follow-up details. Essentially, it is crucial to have a clear flow of information between health providers and clients; however, this may fall short of what’s expected and health providers may make certain mistakes in communication that could potentially affect healthcare outcomes.
Medical travel facilitator companies play a critical role in ensuring a safe and successful medical travel patient experience. There are many great facilitator companies out there; however, unfortunately, patients have very few signposts to help them distinguish between a good facilitator and the not so good.
Contracting healthcare to Centers of Excellence is not a new model, employers have been leveraging these programs to provide quality healthcare at lower costs to their employees. However, with the economic downturn and pent-up demand for healthcare triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the paradigm of health will shift toward this model - more self-funded employers will adopt this healthcare plan to minimize healthcare spendings while optimizing clinical outcomes for their employees
Vincenzo, 22, an Italian man who was born with an extremely rare condition called arthrogryposis shares his experience with the disease and his treatment journey at the Paley Institute.
The industry of health tourism is driven by the quality of care, and it includes medical treatment provided to each patient. To boost patient experience, one must consider all the processes involved in scheduling the visit, the treatment and recovery period.
For Medical tourism, either for emergency or non-emergency procedures, patients require a meticulous advance planning. The culture, language is changed in the new country, also the patient should hold all the original documents of the resident country.
Telemedicine can be an integral cog that can increase the efficiency, productivity, and attractiveness of medical tourism procedures. Virtual conversation can bridge conventional gaps in medical tourism and give patients a feel for what to expect.
Service is the top challenge for clinics and hospitals worldwide with international patients, who, by far, have higher expectations. Some hospitals and clinics have found greater success by understanding their international patients ’ needs and helping them.
8 million patients are estimated to travel for healthcare and 1 million Americans are about to hear the rising healthcare costs. Medical tourism is a viable choice because international facilities made great strides in maintaining existing healthcare systems.
Teamwork is of utmost importance in medical tourism and necessary for doctors to grow professionally, research, and innovate. Patient must know, without a doubt, they are heard, all of their symptoms are documented and treatment doesn’t stop upon a return home.
Providers employing hospitable staff members are attracting more patients, especially domestic and international healthcare travelers. One of the greatest appeals of medical tourism revolves around patients’ ability to be in complete control of their destination.
The relationship between medical insurers and healthcare providers is evolving by a number of factors like global customer demands. The role of the medical insurer in assessing and monitoring the quality of care has not always been clear.
The idea to make medical tourism part of healthcare coverage is making more sense to employers and insurance companies. It's enticing more patients to comparison shop for healthcare as medical tourism makes impossible healthcare solutions possible.
As Obama’s healthcare reform legislation is implemented, organizations seek alternative income streams to increase their bottomline. Many international patients visit the U.S. to pay out-of-pocket for care even they have international insurance for treatments.
A healthcare organization wanting to raise the bar to attract patients from around the world by offering innovation procedures. As the industry grows, the competitiveness of international patient programs will be distinguished by the global affiliations.
For any patient considering medical tourism for the first time, places like India, Thailand and Costa Rica can be a good choice. Patients thinking about becoming medical tourists have heard about the tremendous travel opportunities, the incredible cost saving.
Granted, medical tourism is a relatively new, but rapidly growing industry with unlimited potential of expansion in future. Experience of medical outcomes and patient satisfaction in treating patients have proven that equal care is not equally effective.
Tourism is generally promoted more for its beneficial economic externalities than for the health and social benefits. There is little doubt that vacations make a significant contribution to quality of life.
I received a call from Steve Heise of the Disney Institute in Orlando, as he heard me make a presentation on patient care. Shortly after that I went there to help them understand us, and ended up a year later thinking about all the ways we in hospitals.
Jack, a California resident traveled 6,200 miles to Taipei Medical University Hospital (TMUH) to undergo a total knee replacement. Due to worsening conditions of his knee he decided he couldn’t take the pain, but he couldn’t afford the surgery either.
All Canadians have access to a taxpayer-funded healthcare system that provides first-dollar (no cost-sharing) coverage. Despite the “free” service at home, tens of thousands of Canadians seek healthcare outside of Canada each year.
Love Your Patients! Improve patient satisfaction with essential behaviors that enrich the lives of patients and professionals. This article is an example of quality care and the personal touch that results in a good patient experience and why it is important.
Puerto Rico has always been known for its beautiful white beaches and vibrant nightlife, yet the Island has even more to offer. Luxurious lodging Travelers looking for a glamorous San Juan getaway should consider the Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa & Casino.
With a network of thirteen hospitals, MPHS is the largest hospital and clinic network provider in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Our hospitals are fully accredited by the JJCAHO, certified by the CMS and members in good standing of the American Hospitals.
When traveling to a medical facility patients look for three qualities – ease of travel, value and high quality of services. Puerto Rico is the United States territory in the Caribbean and as such there is no language barrier, no passport or visa requirements.
On the Island, visitors will find diverse geography and a wealth of activities, accommodations and restaurants. Visitors are looking for a relaxing island escape, golf or scuba vacation, an adventure trip amidst tropical rainforests or a getaway.
Puerto Rico has hundreds of miles of coastline that harbor an endless selection for beach connoisseurs and sports enthusiasts. The variety of coastline offers visitors the opportunity to partake in a variety of water sports, from jet skiing on rough waters.
Medical tourism can be susceptible to variations in the flow of patients in a destination due to economic crises, language barriers. Patients will make their choice that will benefit them, like international accreditation, safety and physician expertise.
Representing a major breakthrough in the promotion of Taiwan’s medical tourism. Hospitals and clinics are now able to invite Chinese nationals to receive health checkups, medical treatments and cosmetic surgery procedures in Taiwan.
Finding out that your child has a fatal disease is every parent’s worst nightmare, this was the case for one family in Australia. Audrey Anderson was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma, an uncommon type of brain tumor located a few inches behind her eyes.
International accreditations, cutting-edge technology and a focus on patient safety and positive outcomes do not automatically translate into a great international patient experience. The reason is simple: medical quality is only part of the equation.
The concept of traveling outside one’s community for wellness and healthcare services is nothing new. Patients travel based on such reasons as economics, better access, or perhaps the location of specialist.
The MTA has released preliminary results from its first patient surveys in the Medical Tourism Industry. The MTA has created this medical tourism patient survey as part of a larger research project to study the medical tourism industry.
An x-ray identified osteoarthritis and joint deterioration, especially in the left hip, my research quickly revealed that as a woman over 55 years of age and residing in Alberta, Canada, my surgical options were limited to total hip replacement.
There is nothing worse for an athlete to be unable to do the sport they love this is exactly what happened to me. I was an avid rock climber and due to a chronic and deteriorating condition called Kienbocks Disease in my left wrist I was told to stop climbing.
Poor wound evolution, wound infection and necrosis is something that can occur with absolutely ANY open wound on a patient, and with, ANY surgical procedure, including something as “insignificant” as a laparoscopic incision.
Carron Morrow had exhausted all conventional treatments for her failing heart. She came to the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital for the unconventional – the first FDA approved study using stem cells from a patient’s own bone marrow to treat heart failure.
