What is medical tourism?
Considering the concept of medical tourism from a legal point of view, it is possible to distinguish two main
features that characterize it:
- Planned medical care is provided outside the home region;
-
Medical services are combined with regular recreation: visiting cultural and historical monuments,
recreational
procedures, etc.;
Medical tourism provides an opportunity to get the best service. After all, medicine is developing unevenly in
different countries. For example, plastic surgery Turkey is at a high level – the breast should
be done there,
Switzerland is known for its cardiac surgeons, etc.
Depending on where and how the trip is carried out, the following types of tourism can be distinguished:
Internal. Movement is limited to the regions of their own country;
Exit. Trips abroad for recreation and receiving a range of professional medical services.
Industry development: what can you expect from medical tourism?
Starting to develop, medical tourism has activated the healthcare system around the world. From the subsidized
industry, medicine began to become a profitable business, which forced states to reconsider the distribution of
finances and pay more attention to healthcare.
In Turkey, for example, more than 10% of GDP is invested in the healthcare system every year. This has brought
Turkey cosmetic surgery to a new, competitive level.
Medical tourism has passed a difficult path. In the 2000s, when there was practically no interest in the
industry,
people had to act at their own risk. Now, 20 years later, a more or less clear picture has emerged. The leaders
of
the direction stood out. These include:
- Israel;
- India;
- Thailand;
- Switzerland, etc.
Recently, China and South Korea have become more active. The latter, by the way, is in the TOP 10 countries in
terms
of medical care. The country`s rating, in terms of suitability and convenience for medical tourism, is evaluated
by
the MTI Medical Tourism Index (Medical Tourism Index).
Choosing a country for medical tourism, first of all it is necessary to rely on the above rating. In total, 41
countries were included in this rating, so there is an opportunity to choose a destination for every taste.
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Medical Tourism and its types. The best countries for medical tourism
Speaking about medical tourism, there are 3 main directions:
-
Therapeutic. Travel abroad, or travel within the country outside the home region, are carried out for a
specific
purpose. People go for a specific medical service, where it will be carried out at the highest level. After
all, for
example, during how much is breast lift is of secondary importance. The patient is much
more concerned about its
successful completion;
-
Diagnostic. The purpose of diagnostic medical tourism is a thorough professional examination. Either with
the help
of the latest medical devices, or through consultation with specialists.
-
Restorative. This type is most similar to classic tourism. Most often, the entire period of stay in the
country is
spent on procedures that improve the general condition of the patient. Folk medicine is especially popular
within
the framework of restorative medical tourism.
Consider the popular areas of medical tourism.
Switzerland
Medical tourism in Switzerland is a beautiful nature combined with advanced scientific achievements. That`s why
they
choose this country:
- High level of security;
- The medicine of the state is in the first place in Europe;
- High-quality service.
The only drawback of this direction was, and continues to be, for example a high breast surgery
cost. Both
accommodation and medical services.
Korea
Korea is among the Top 10 countries in the PMI index. This is one of the best places to treat serious diseases.
The
advantages of medical tourism in Korea include:
-
World fame. There are a huge number of clinics in Korea that have international JCI accreditation. This is a
kind of
guarantee that the treatment will take place without excesses;
- Leading technologies. Korea has a number of scarce high-performance medical technologies.
-
Great success in the treatment of oncological diseases. For example, the survival rate for bowel cancer is
72%. In
equally advanced Switzerland, this value is 50.
Turkey
Turkey has become one of the most popular medical tourism destinations in recent years. This is primarily due to
the
fact that the healthcare industry is constantly developing in it. In recent years, more than $40 billion has
been
allocated to it.
Turkey has a rich experience of working with tourists. As an example, tourists are increasingly using a new
option -
one-stop. It implies that all issues will be handled by the manager.
There is a wide range of recreational and wellness activities in Turkey, as well as more serious procedures. The
reviews about plastic surgery in Turkey reviews are extremely positive. As well as about spas
or thermal resorts.
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What is the attraction of medical tourism?
Medical tourism is fundamentally different from treatment in the home region. And one of the most important
differences is the presence of a medical coordinator. The person who is the link between the clinic and the
patient.
It is thanks to his work that people manage to combine rest and treatment. The duties of the coordinator include:
-
Correspondence consultation. The coordinator contacts a potential client and collects information about him.
Usually, as part of a telephone conversation, the coordinator learns about the diagnosis, previous
treatment,
financial opportunities, etc.
-
Assistance in settling in. The coordinator helps to find a hotel, an interpreter, and also advises certain
tourist
activities. The coordinator is usually available 24 hours a day and is ready to help with any issues that
arise.
The second positive feature of medical tourism is the opportunity to get the best services. Choose recognized
doctors for your treatment.
What do you need to know when going on a trip?
Despite all the advantages of medical tourism, it also has some disadvantages. For example:
-
You need to remember about the lack of insurance. At home, a medical error will be paid for. That is why you
should
choose the place of treatment and performers especially carefully. Experienced tourists first of all
recommend
paying attention to reviews;
-
If complications occur after surgery, certain difficulties may appear. At a minimum, a change of the
attending
physician may not have the best effect on health.
In addition, calculating the duration of the trip, it is necessary to include the rehabilitation period. This
period
is no less important than the operation itself.
Possible troubles, and how to avoid them
Basically , problems arise in two cases:
-
The patient did not take the necessary certificates with him. In such cases, it is necessary to undergo
examinations
again. It is simply impossible to explain "in your own words" and even to a foreigner the diagnosis and
features of
the course of the disease. As a result, extra time and finances are wasted. Therefore, when going on a trip,
you
need to take with you a medical history, as complete and detailed as possible;
-
Imprudence in choosing a country. When choosing a country, you need to take into account everything:
mentality,
climate, gastronomic preferences. And if the abundance of spicy food can still somehow survive, then the
unsuitable
climate during surgery and rehabilitation is disastrous.
Conclusion
Medical tourism is a great opportunity not only to improve your health, but also to relax at the same time.
Here, as
in the case of ordinary tourism, the main thing is to carefully choose the country, agency and clinic. If you
choose
them correctly, then the memories from the trip will remain only positive.