Quality and Safety Issues in the Medical Tourism - Report Example

Quality and Safety Issues in the Medical Tourism: Introduction: Medical tourism, as the implies, is a tourism conducted fundamentally for medical reasons. “Medical Tourism takes place when individuals opt to travel overseas with the primary intention of receiving medical (usually elective surgery) treatments” (Lunt et al., 2010, p. 2). People go to foreign countries for getting medical operations because they deem a certain country more suitable for the type of operation they require. The suitability of a particular country for a particular medical concern is judged on the basis of economy, expertise, quality of services and the level of advancement in the field pertinent to the problem of the patient. An individual might go on a medical tourism for getting a surgery done by a foreign surgeon who is more qualified or experienced for doing a certain type of surgery as compared to the local doctors, who are within the knowledge of the individual, though he/she might be unaware of a more experienced and capable surgeon in the homeland. Not only for getting a medical treatment, traveling done for offering medical services is also referred to as medical tourism. For example, a medical specialist travels abroad to deliver a lecture regarding his/her latest discovery in the treatment of cancer which he made as a result of his years of research in the subject. This would be termed as medical tourism. Conventionally, people all over the world have a trend to search the most appropriate place for the medical treatment they require. Many times, the most suitable place happens to be out of the homeland. People travel thousands of miles to get a certain treatment. This has both positive and negative impacts not only on the health and safety of such individuals, but also their homeland and the country they go to. This paper analyzes certain quality and safety issues in the medical tourism, and offers strategies and solutions to help combat the issues. Quality and safety issues in the medical tourism: The general trend among masses to travel for better medical care and advice has a lot of financial and health implications on their home country as well as the host country. Most of the people travel to foreign countries in their anxiety after they discover that somebody very close to them suffers from a deadly disease. Patients, particularly in the developing countries tend to underestimate the treatment offered in their homeland. This is contrary to the fact that many people from technologically advanced countries like US come to developing countries because it costs them less than half the expenses they would have to bear, had they opted to remain in their homeland for the treatment (Forgione and Smith, 2006, p. 33). A research carried out by the aegis of Consideration of Indian Industry (CII) indicated that India’s medical tourism is soon to be a US $2.3 billion industry that is expected to grow by 30% till 2010 (Jose and Sachdeva, 2010, p. 376). This in turn, has its own disadvantages. For example, the treatment offered in developing countries might be influenced by the social, political and economic upsets the country might be going through. On the other hand, the underestimation of local surgeons in poor countries causes the patients to incur huge expenses, and yet, the success is decided by fate. Many patients have to pay for the time they spend in traveling to the foreign country for the treatment. For example, in cases of emergency, the patients usually die in the course of travel, even if the shortest possible means was chosen in terms of travel time. The conditions that develop while traveling are often unfavorable for the patient, and he/she suffers from the consequences. Also, quality of the sort of treatment offered at distant places is never guaranteed. For example, if an individual were to get an organ transplant surgery done from a foreign country, he/she would get it done. However, the source of organs implanted in the body might be highly questionable. Also, after such surgeries as sex alteration, an individual might never return to the homeland with people knowing him/her. In addition to that, patients experience a lot of trouble when they have to communicate with the doctors in foreign language. Linguistic and cultural barriers hinder the development of the right kind of relation between a doctor and a patient. This may adversely affect the treatment. Apart from these factors, the quality of environment of the hospital, quality of air and water of the host country and the local temperature of the foreign country chosen for treatment might not suit the patient. The susceptibility of a patient to acquire diseases is enhanced in such conditions. Even if the patient remained immune to the diseases in the host country, he/she might suffer from the after effects of treatment. In the foreign country, the patient tends to roam around to explore the beauty of the country and misses the follow-up sessions with his/her surgeon. As a result, the patient develops complications. Impact of these issues on the health care industry: Medical tourism is of extreme importance in maintaining the economic strength of a country. Economic benefits obtained by medical tourism include but are not limited to in-flow of foreign exchange, reduction in the deficiency of trade and relief to public financial resources (Kassim, 2009, p. 450). In addition to that, flourishing medical tourism serves as an incentive for a country to upgrade its medical technology, equipment and quality of health care services. However, all of the problems identified affect the health care industry negatively in a number of ways. For example, the deterioration of health because of lack of follow up care speaks bad of the treatment gained in the host country in the first place, though the treatment was flawless and the patient suffered from consequences because of his/her personal carelessness. Health care industry of the host country is accused of any deaths that inside planes while the patients travel, which is unfair. The host country looses its credibility if its environment proved unfavorable for the patient’s health. In the long run, the health care industry has to suffer in terms of reduced profits and declined satisfaction level of experienced surgeons. Quality improvement strategies: Developing countries should particularly place special emphasis on practicing regulatory directions in an attempt to preserve and safeguard public health given the rise of epidemics world over (Salmon, 2008, p. 50). Many a times, health care industry in the host country has to suffer because of the irresponsible or unwise attitude displayed by the tourists. In order to safeguard the reputation of health care industry of the host country, the tourists should be lawfully instructed to seek an appointment with a surgeon in the host country prior to their arrival in the country. The patients should be strictly instructed to get all the relevant tests done prior to moving towards their destination. This would provide the host country with evidence that the patient had symptoms of declining health prior to his/her move. The patient should ensure that the source of organs that were implanted in his/her body was reliable. Health care industry should formulate such a system that would ensure the use of money derived from foreigners in improving the health of local public. This would not only improve the general health of public in the host country, but would also improve its business because of improved impression on the foreigners. Plan for implementation of strategies: It should be ensured that the foreign patients are provided with insurance. Sum equal to its premiums should be made part of the fee of the patients. This would not only make the patients more responsible in their decision to acquire foreign services for health, but also maximize the profits of the host country. Medical tourism “ultimately, remains a business enterprise to import currency, especially if the procedures offered are approved by the patient’s healthcare funder/insurance provider” (Ben-Natan, Ben-Sefer, and Ehrenfeld, 2009). It should be made the responsibility of the insurance provider to confirm the credibility of all sources used for getting the organs to be implanted in the patient’s body. The patient is liable to provide follow-up treatment evidence to the insurance provider. Otherwise, the patient would loose right over funding in case any complications develop after the initial treatment has been given. No patient should be allowed to make visit for medical reasons unless a preliminary check-up has been conducted by a doctor in the home country. The doctor in the home country should contact the concerned doctor in the host country and declare the case completely. He should also inquire about the environmental conditions in the host country. The information revealed by the other doctor should be counter-checked by the news, and any additional expenses should be referred to the patient. Visa should be issued only upon the doctor’s approval of the treatment that the patient intends to seek in the host country. Only after the customer is sure that he/she can bear all the additional expenses associated with the decision to conduct the medical tourism, he/she should be allowed to leave for it. References: Ben-Natan, M., Ben-Sefer, E., and Ehrenfeld, M. (2009). Medical Tourism: A New Role for Nursing? OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. 14(3). DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol14No03PPT02. Forgione, D. A., and Smith, P. C. (2006). Medical Tourism and Its Impact on the US Health Care System. J Health Care Finance. 34(1):27–35. Jose, R., and Sachdeva, S. (2010). Keeping an Eye on Future: Medical Tourism. Indian Journal of Community Medicine. 35(3). DOI: 10.4103/0970-0218.69247. Kassim, P. N. J. (2009). Medicine Beyond Borders: The Legal And Ethical Challenges. Medicine and Law. 28: 439-450. Lunt, N., Hardey, M., and Mannion, R. (2010). Nip, Tuck and Click: Medical Tourism and the Emergence of Web-Based Health Information. The Open Medical Informatics Journal. 4: 1-11. Salmon, J. W. (2008). Promotion of Medical Tourism in the Media Creates a Trend. American Health & Drug Benefits. 1(9): 49-50. Read More