Medical Tourism as a National Industry

In the rapidly changing field of medical many advances have taken place. With the passage of time and evolution in medical techniques, technologies and trends medical tourism has become one of the largest and beneficial term in the field of medical health and care. Medical tourism provides a closer view of ever changing medical trends and technologies. Medical tourism has strengthened its roots and has become one the main stream growing industry of the world.  Having considered its benefits over 50 countries have recognized medical tourism as a national industry. It is now easier for people to know the advance medical techniques and facilities. Ever developing system of web has made it even easier to make a plan ready for your medical treatment anywhere in the world. As many companies related to the industry of medical tourism have launched their medical travel health and care packages and programs with the list of renown doctors at their URL. You can start your journey by just sending a simple mail to any medical tourism related company and they are always ready to facilitate your trip for medical treatment. (more…)

Emerging Medical Tourism in South Korea

South Korea is emerging as a popular destination for medical tourism especially among the tourists from the US, Japan and China, says a new research report “Emerging Medical Tourism in South Korea” by RNCOS. In 2008, the country received around 25,000 foreign medical tourists, an impressive increase of more than 56% from previous year (2007). Medical tourists prefer South Korea not just for the lower costs of treatment, but also for its advanced technology and better healthcare infrastructure.

We have also found that South Korea is widely popular for its world-class and skilled professionals in plastic surgery that attracts medical patients from different parts of the world to get their surgery done at low cost. For instance, nearly 10,000 people landed in South Korea for plastic surgery procedures in 2008. Besides, the country has attained great proficiency in the treatment of different types of cancers such as stomach cancer and liver cancer.

With focus on various parameters of tourism industry, including inbound tourism, expenditure by inbound tourists, medical tourism and healthcare infrastructure, the report contains a thorough analysis of the South Korean medical tourism industry. It also provides strategic insight to the clients to evaluate opportunities for their success in the medical tourism industry. (more…)

Step-by-step Guide to Medical Tourism

Going overseas for surgical treatment can be overwhelming for anybody. After all, it’s not like going to a hospital down the road where you have been to before and know all the doctors and nurses. To be successful in your pursuit of low-cost high quality medical treatment, there is a step by step process that you must follow to gain confidence in your decision, get the right care and save money.

STEP 1: FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE TREND OF MEDICAL TOURISM

Find out why everybody is raving about it and why they are willing to travel half the world for it. Learn from the experience of others. Read news and articles on the subject. Check out the frequently asked questions that medical tourists have at https://www.healthbase.com/hb/pages/medical-tourism-faq.jsp.

STEP 2: RESEARCH ON THE MEDICAL PROCEDURE

Find out all you can about the medical procedure in question – problems it solves, follow-up care needed, physical therapy required, etc. This will help you clear 3 doubts: is the procedure right for your condition; are you the right candidate for the procedure; and should you go abroad for it.

STEP 3: FIND OUT IF MEDICAL TOURISM IS WHAT YOU WANT

Medical tourism is not always a good choice for non-emergency medical treatments. Sometimes transportation costs may outweigh the possible savings achievable by going abroad. In some cases, the time required for the surgery abroad may be too much for you to spare. Or, the surgery you need may not be available abroad with a reputable health care provider.

STEP 4: LEARN ABOUT MEDICAL TOURISM DESTINATIONS

Some countries have the reputation for top-quality cardiac surgery while others for world-class orthopedics and yet others for cosmetic procedures. So make your selection wisely. Sometimes distance can also play an important role in your decision-making, like in the case of small dental jobs. You should also prepare yourself for culture differences.

STEP 5: LEARN ABOUT INTERNATIONAL FACILITIES AND SURGEONS

When researching on any health care provider try to find answers to the following:

Does the hospital or clinic employ the latest equipments and technology? Do they have expertise in the medical procedure you are seeking? What accreditations and awards do they have? Are the surgeons qualified enough? Where did they receive their education and training? (more…)

What Is Medical Tourism

By: Theron M Claude

Medical tourism (also called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare) is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain health care. It also refers pejoratively to the practice of healthcare providers traveling internationally to deliver healthcare[1][2].

Services typically sought by travelers include elective procedures as well as complex specialized surgeries such as joint replacement (knee/hip), cardiac surgery, dental surgery, and cosmetic surgeries. However, virtually every type of health care, including psychiatry, alternative treatments, convalescent care and even burial services are available. As a practical matter, providers and customers commonly use informal channels of communication-connection-contract, and in such cases this tends to mean less regulatory or legal oversight to assure quality and less formal recourse to reimbursement or redress, if needed[citation needed].

Over 50 countries have identified medical tourism as a national industry.[3] However, accreditation and other measures of quality vary widely across the globe, and there are risks and ethical issues that make this method of accessing medical care controversial[citation needed]. Also, some destinations may become hazardous or even dangerous for medical tourists to contemplate.

In the context of global health, “medical tourism” is a pejorative because during such trips health care providers often practice outside of their areas of expertise or hold different (i.e., lower) standards of care[4][5]. Greater numbers than ever before of student volunteers, health professions trainees, and researchers from resource-rich countries are working temporarily and anticipating future work in resource-starved areas[5][6]. This emphasizes the importance of understanding this other definition. (more…)

Find information fast about Medical Tourism and Top Hospitals in India

By: Ron Spikee

Medical Tourism is one of the popular terms in Healthcare Industry recently. Most common treatments covered in Medical Tourism are heart surgery, knee transplant, cosmetic surgery and dental care. The most favorite destination for Medical Tourism is Indiabecause of it’s advanced infrastructure and technology and talented doctors, competitive with those in USA, Canada and European countries like UK, Germany, France and Italy.

Medial Tourism in India is booming because of its most efficient and affordable medical system in the world. India produces the best talented and brilliant doctors across whole globe.

Medical Tourism in India is getting so popular in Western and European Countries. It is one of the cheapest and best options available for needy people across the globe. Millions of patients go to India every year to get treated and then enjoy their holidays across India. Major health insurance companies like Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield are all providing free roundtrip air fair and free accommodation if you opt for the major treatment in countries like India.

How to find a good hospital in India?

Research about good Hospitals in India is a challenge to the patients sitting in the other part of the globe, who does not know anything about India. How do you find a good hospital in India that provides world class medical facilities with hospitals and specialized multi specialty health centers providing their expertise in the areas of Cosmetic Surgery, Dental care, Heart Surgeries, Coronary Bypass, Heart Check up, Valve replacements, Knee Replacements, Eye surgeries, Indian traditional treatments like Ayurvedic Therapies etc.

The first thing you would do is go to a search engine and search with keywords. But it returns millions of pages with not much information. Often some of the top ranked websites give wrong and confusing information.

If there is a website to search all the Indian Hospital by city, hospital name, how great it would be? The recently launched website http://www.whoyiz.com offer very useful information about most of the hospitals in India.

With the new tools and technologies coming out every day, it’s very easy for finding the right treatment place for Medical Tourism.

Medical Tourism is one of the popular terms in Healthcare Industry recently. Most common treatments covered in Medical Tourism are heart surgery, knee transplant, cosmetic surgery and dental care. The most favorite destination for Medical Tourism is Indiabecause of it’s advanced infrastructure and technology and talented doctors, competitive with those in USA, Canada and European countries like UK, Germany, France and Italy.

Medial Tourism in India is booming because of its most efficient and affordable medical system in the world. India produces the best talented and brilliant doctors across whole globe.

Medical Tourism in India is getting so popular in Western and European Countries. It is one of the cheapest and best options available for needy people across the globe. Millions of patients go to India every year to get treated and then enjoy their holidays across India. Major health insurance companies like Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield are all providing free roundtrip air fair and free accommodation if you opt for the major treatment in countries like India.

How to find a good hospital in India?

Research about good Hospitals in India is a challenge to the patients sitting in the other part of the globe, who does not know anything about India. How do you find a good hospital in India that provides world class medical facilities with hospitals and specialized multi specialty health centers providing their expertise in the areas of Cosmetic Surgery, Dental care, Heart Surgeries, Coronary Bypass, Heart Check up, Valve replacements, Knee Replacements, Eye surgeries, Indian traditional treatments like Ayurvedic Therapies etc.

The first thing you would do is go to a search engine and search with keywords. But it returns millions of pages with not much information.

Booming Medical Tourism in India

By: Rncos E-services Pvt. Ltd.

About the Author

About RNCOS:

RNCOS, incorporated in the year 2002, is an industry research firm. We are a team of industry experts who analyze data collected from credible sources. We provide industry insights and analysis that helps corporations to take timely and accurate business decision in today’s globally competitive environment.

Medical tourism in India has emerged as the fastest growing segment of tourism industry despite the global economic downturn. High cost of treatments in the developed countries, particularly the USA and UK, has been forcing patients from such regions to look for alternative and cost-effective destinations to get their treatments done. The Indian medical tourism industry is presently at a nascent stage, but has an enormous potential for future growth and development.

As per our new market research report “Booming Medical Tourism in India”, India’s share in the global medical tourism industry will climb to around 2.4% by the end of 2012. Moreover, the medical tourism is expected to generate revenue of US$ 2.4 Billion by 2012, growing at a CAGR of over 27% during 2009–2012. The number of medical tourists is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 19% in the forecast period to reach 1.1 Million by 2012. (more…)

Medical Tourism in India – Save Money and Get a Free Holiday!

Medical tourism is the provision of competitively priced private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry.

Patients can travel to India for surgery and other forms of healthcare and pay less than patients who stay in their own country.

Other highly attractive benefits include: The opportunity for patients to avoid long waiting lists and with the savings they make, get a holiday included in the package.

Medical tourists are an expanding group and one of the leaders in the field is India.

The Growth of Medical Tourism in India

India’s healthcare industry is already growing at 30 per cent annually. The area has shown such growth potential that Indian finance minister Jaswant Singh, called recently for India to become a “global health destination.” His enthusiasm for making medical tourism in India a major foreign exchange revenue earner has broad based support among local government and industry.

The ministry of tourism has shown interest, but so to have the various state tourism boards and the private sector consisting of travel agents, tour operators and hotel companies. All are looking at healthcare and medical tourism in India as an area with tremendous growth potential.

A newspaper article recently in “India Abroad,” showed the potential for medical tourism, when it outlined a deal, where India could earn more than billion annually and creates 40 million new jobs by sub-contracting work from the British National Health Service. The deal would have broad appeal. It would slash waiting times dramatically in the UK and create huge savings in time and money for patients.

The potential for medical tourism in India from the US and UK looks set for major growth, as India becomes a preferred destination for medical tourists from these countries. (more…)

Medical Tourism ? World Class Healthcare at an Affordable Cost

In the ever-changing world of international healthcare, medical tourism is a rising trend. In fact, medical tourism is a phenomenon that has taken the world of healthcare by storm in recent years. It remains a unique proposition that no only involves the healthcare industry but also has a significant impact on the tourism industry.

What is medical tourism? Why is everybody talking about it these days? And is it a good choice for you? Let’s try and answer these questions.

The practice of visiting new places in search of favorable climate or on just being advised by a doctor to go ‘on a change’ is not new. Medical tourism is just a refined form of this age old habit practice of humanity. In its broadest sense, medical tourism combines care for your health with international tourism. The primary reason behind its surging popularity is that it enables the common man to avail better healthcare services at an affordable budget. When one’s health is one’s concern, it is natural to look for the best treatment options within one’s budget. Countries such as India, Dubai and Malaysia are fast emerging as the forerunners in providing world-class healthcare facilities. These include a wide array of highly skilled healthcare professionals, trained in various specialized disciplines, state-of-the-art equipment and modern amenities, impeccable service and personal attention to every need of the patient and all these, at a cost that’s surprisingly affordable.

Most people in need of specialized healthcare services feel daunted by the high cost associated with them. Countries such as US, Canada or some European nations, offer the same high standard healthcare facilities as India, Malaysia or Dubai, at a cost that’s substantially greater. Let’s face it, not everybody can afford the high cost associated with healthcare services in his or her own country. Nor do all of us enjoy the benefits of a high medical insurance coverage.

All this naturally necessitates the need to look for similar healthcare services elsewhere, where the cost is significantly lower. Healthcare tourism makes it possible to save up to 80% (as compared to US/UK) on medical costs by opting for countries like India. Healthcare tourism in India is fast gaining in popularity because of this simple reason. (more…)

Expert Says Rp Poised For Huge Gains In Medical Tourism

Expert Says RP Poised for Huge Gains in Medical Tourism

MANILA, Philippines – Medical tourism in the Philippines is quietly but surely bringing benefits into the country—but not only in terms of revenues. A look at the big picture shows that the benefits are larger, more substantial and more long-term than what can be quantified simply in financial terms. Sadly, this big picture is what some critics of medical tourism miss.

It’s undeniable that medical tourism will bring additional revenue to the Philippine economy—after all, it is projected to be a 8 billion industry by 2013 as more and more people seek quality healthcare overseas. The Philippine government estimates that medical tourism could bring in as much as billion into the economy in the next three years.

And yes, the direct beneficiaries of these added revenues are the country’s hospitals and medical professionals including doctors, nurses, etc. The advantages, however, don’t just stop there. As more and more overseas patients–whether Filipino-Americans and others of Filipino descent, or foreign tourists–come in for health services in the Philippines, it will create a domino effect that would result in, essentially, better healthcare for everybody.

International accreditation

Today there are three hospitals in the Philippines that are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI); these are the Medical City in Pasig, Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu, and St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City. As more and more hospitals strive to achieve international accreditation as part of medical tourism, these hospitals will need to upgrade their systems, services and personnel as well.

“Accreditation agencies enhance the quality of care by providing quality standards and measuring hospital performance against these benchmarks.  As Philippines embarks on the business of medical tourism, more and more reputed international accrediting bodies like NABH of India will have their presence in the country.  These accreditations will improve the overall quality of healthcare delivery, not only for the foreign patients, but for the local Filipino patients too,” said Dr. Sanjiv Malik, Honorary Chairman of IMWell Summit. (more…)

URINARY INCONTINENCE TREATMENT AND MEDICAL TOURISM

If you suffer from leaking bladder accidents when you cough or laugh or sneeze, or if you have the urge of going to the bathroom all the time, you are not alone. Millions of people across all ages, both genders and all races are affected by this common problem that is termed urinary incontinence (UI), a loss of bladder control. The good news is that the underlying medical condition causing urinary incontinence is almost always treatable and today it is possible to get affordable treatment overseas through medical tourism.

URINARY INCONTINENCE TYPES AND TREATMENTS

Though urinary incontinence can be classified into several types, its three main types are: stress, urge and overflow.

Stress incontinence occurs during certain activities like coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise, and is most commonly caused by weak pelvic floor muscles.

Urge incontinence or overactive incontinence involves a sudden urge to urinate followed by instant bladder contraction and involuntary loss of urine, and occurs regardless of the amount of urine that is in the bladder.

Overflow incontinence is the constant dribbling of urine usually associated with urinating frequently and in small amounts, and may be caused by weak bladder muscles or a blocked urethra.

Depending on the cause, type and severity of urinary incontinence as well as your lifestyle, treatment approaches available to you may include weight loss, exercises, medications, bladder retraining (timed voiding), biofeedback, electrical stimulation, and if all else fails, then surgery.

MEDICAL TOURISM

Medical tourism is the act of traveling from one city to another within your country (domestic medical tourism) or to another country by crossing international borders (overseas medical tourism) to obtain medical care that is either not available or not affordable at your local provider. The popularity of medical tourism is largely due to the availability of high quality care at a highly discounted price.

Healthcare providers participating in medical tourism boast of modern facilities with state-of-the-art equipments and technologies, and surgeons who are trained or educated in the US or Europe – all this at a cost that’s 60% to 90% cheaper compared to typical US hospital rates. (more…)