"..USA: What do potential American medical tourists really think?.."

There is a great deal of advice on where US medical tourists should go and why they should consider overseas treatment, and many assumptions about what they want. But few attempts have been made to ask Americans what they actually think or feel about the subject.  So US based global healthcare network Medical Tourism Connection decided to remedy that when it started an international patient series to address important questions that overseas hospitals and clinics frequently ask.

Although not a statistically accurate survey, Medical Tourism Connection took to the U.S. streets to ask people about their needs and wants. The company also believes that patient feedback is the very best way to establish a rewarding avenue for future referrals.   Good patient references are a common goal that every facility strives to achieve; this is especially true in the medical tourism industry, past patient praise is a route to expanding your business.

The company makes what seems in hindsight, a glaringly obvious point. What American patients want and need now, in the past, and in the future may change considerably over time. Healthcare and healthcare travel are need driven and the first point of reference for Americans is what is available locally and at what cost. The availability and cost of care may vary drastically not just between New York and New Orleans, Los Angeles and Maryland, but even within those areas. Patient’s thoughts concerning the newly found information about global access to healthcare will continue to change, develop and even surprise.  When it comes to answering what an American patient’s true needs are when considering services and price, there is nothing better than to simply ask the patient.

When asked what they really think about global healthcare, survey responses included:

• Can it really be safe to travel for medical care overseas?
• Finding a facility would be impossible; I would not even know where to start.
• I had no idea that treatment was available, how can I find out if the treatment is available, are the treatments as good as I would receive in the U.S.?
• I have never travelled outside of the U.S., I would not know anyone and I only speak English, I definitely would want a U.S. company to help arrange my treatment.
• How and where are the doctors trained?  Are they real doctors?  How would I be able to know?
• Where would I stay? I would feel much safer if the facility would tell me where to stay, what to do and what not to do while I am there for treatment.  Do they do that?
• Will someone meet me at the airport to help me make my appointments and find my way around?  Would I be alone or does the facility help me through the process?
• How do I pay? I would not want to send money out of the country to someone I do not know.
• I know someone who has traveled for medical care, but they had travelled to the country before, can I receive treatment without visiting first? It seems like it would be difficult to set everything up.
• I would never walk up to a hospital and get treatment without doing some research such as accreditation. Do people really do this?

Many “patients on the street” have never considered medical tourism as a solution to their healthcare needs.  Medical Tourism Connection makes the point that however good a hospital is, if potential customers do not know you are there, you may as well be invisible.