What Is Medical Tourism & How Does It Work?
Traveling to another country for medical care is now more popular than ever, with more and more hospitals and clinics expanding their service regions into international waters. Now called medical tourism, traveling abroad for a certain medical procedure is especially common in aesthetic, cosmetic, and dental procedures, as well as radical treatment plans including CyberKnife, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.Here is everything you need to know about medical tourism, basic medical tourism examples, and the most common medical tourism packages you can choose from if you, too, are looking for international medical options.
What is Medical Tourism?
Before digging into the various countries where medical tourism is especially popular, it is important to know the medical tourism definition and what exactly it entails. Medical tourism refers to people traveling to different countries for various medical care. This may include oncologic procedures such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and bone marrow transplant; various types of hair transplant procedures; cosmetic surgery such as breast lift, tummy tuck, and liposuction; or numerous dental procedures, including teeth whitening and implant surgery. Today, it is possible to obtain inexpensive flight tickets and choose a well-known country in the medical tourism market to receive international healthcare needs.What are the Advantages of Medical Tourism?
There are many advantages that medical tourism brings to patients who choose to outsource their specific medical treatment. Here are the most common benefits medical tourism provides:- Medical tourism offers a much affordable way to get certain treatments when compared to the patient’s home country.
- In some cases, patients can receive treatment that otherwise is not available in their country.
- Traveling abroad for optional procedures such as hair transplant or cosmetic surgery can also offer the opportunity for sightseeing and traditional tourism activities the country has to offer.
- Most medical tourism companies help patients with purchasing economic flight tickets, book an inexpensive hotel, and select the best hospital or clinic for a certain procedure, therefore making the process much more affordable than it would be in their homeland.
- Hospitals majoring in medical tourism usually have staff trained exactly for out-country patients; therefore, they can speak fluent English and are able to inform the patient about the procedure accurately from A to Z.
- Most clinics and hospitals that specialize in medical tourism tend to employ doctors, nurses, and medical staff that has worked or trained abroad.
- With these benefits in mind, it is important to remember that qualification, accreditation, hygiene, and experience are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a clinic abroad. It is essential to conduct background research on the selected organization before going through the process of booking a procedure.