Patients Beyond Borders - Chapter Excerpts

Dear Reader: On this page, we’ll frequently post a new excerpt from Patients Beyond Borders,” either an informative chunk from one of the eight chapters in the book, or a peek at one of the 22 destinations featured in Part Two. Check back for new posts, or go to Amazon and click the “Search Inside” link.

From Chapter Two: Planning Your Health JourneyThe Twelvefold Path to Enlightened Health Travel PlanningThe following is culled from hundreds of interviews with patients and treatment center staff members around the world. Follow the steps and advice outlined here and you’ll streamline your planning, organize your trip well, select the best physician(s), communicate effectively with staff and agents, save money, and prepare to pack your bags with confidence.
Step 1: Confirm Your Treatment OptionsDoctors often recommend a range of choices for a given condition and then leave the choice up to patients and their families. That’s wise, because your body is your own, and no one except you can or should make such vital decisions. Most physicians respect their patient’s autonomy. That’s why they usually stop short of advising you on a specific course of treatment.

If you have doubts about your diagnosis or feel dissatisfaction with your relationship with your physician or specialist, don’t be timid about seeking a second—or even third—opinion. At the very least, a second opinion expands your knowledge base about your condition. The more you and your hometown health team learn about—and discuss—your condition, diagnosis, and treatment options, the more precisely and confidently you’ll communicate with your overseas practitioners.

As you sort through your treatment options and consider courses of action, you’ll want to learn as much as you can about your condition. You’ll get better care from your overseas practitioners if you are a knowledgeable and responsive patient.
It works both ways: your experiences and challenges as an informed medical traveler will sharpen your skills on the home front, better equipping you and your loved ones to survive and flourish in the increasingly complex morass that has become our contemporary healthcare system.

Step 2: Narrow Your DestinationsOnce you’ve resolved what treatment you’re seeking, refer to the Patients Beyond Borders “Treatment and Country Finder” found at the beginning of Part Two. This handy reference will help you locate the destinations cited throughout the book that offer the care you’re seeking. In addition, you may also want to consult the Web or other trusted sources you may know.

Your searches will likely produce a dozen or so places that offer, for example, excellent dental care. Great! Choice is good. You will now want to narrow your search based on your circumstance and personal preferences. For example, if you have a choice in travel times, you may prefer a cooler climate in Eastern Europe over the coastal humid heat of Cape Town, South Africa. Or perhaps you speak a little Spanish and are more comfortable conversing with Costa Ricans than Croatians. For sheer travel convenience, a patient living in California or Oregon may prefer Mexico as a destination for dental treatment, while Costa Rica makes more sense to a Florida or Georgia resident.

The point is to narrow your options based on your travel preferences, geography, budget, time requirements, and other variables. Part Two, “The Most-Traveled Health Destinations,” provides a wealth of information on the most widely visited regions and treatment centers.
To help you narrow your options, ask yourself these questions:

When do I want—or need—to travel? If I’m taking a companion, when can he or she travel? How much do I mind a ten-hour flight? An 18-hour flight? Do I have a preference for a hotter or cooler climate? If I’m planning on leisure activities while abroad, what types most interest me? Hiking? Museum-hopping? Shopping? Beaches? Night Life? How much cultural diversity can I tolerate?

Step 3: Engage a Great Health Travel AgentGood news: if you don’t want to do all the planning, research, and booking work yourself, you don’t have to. The medical travel industry has recently given rise to the specialty services of the health travel planner. A qualified agent is usually a specialist in a given region or treatment, with the best doctors, accommodations, and in-country contacts at their fingertips.

Once you’ve settled on your health travel destination, it pays to seek out the services of that locale’s best health travel agent. Agents usually pay for themselves and are well worth the relatively modest additional fees they typically charge.

The better health travel agents do all the work of a traditional travel agent and more, including some or all of the following:

Match you with the appropriate clinic and physician(s)By far the most important service a health travel agent provides is that of matchmaker. The best agents have years of experience with treatment centers, physicians, and staffs, and are in a position to find the best fit among a variety of choices, in addition to weeding out bad apples. Because the agency’s success depends on references from satisfied customers, top agents work hard to make the physician-patient relationship a good match from the start.

Arrange and confirm appointmentsOnce you’ve selected or approved a physician, the agent can handle the details of making appointments for consultations, tests, and treatment. Agents know all the assistants and aides; they can push the right buttons to fast track your arrangements.
Expedite the transfer of your medical information Your agent can work with you and your physicians at home and abroad to relay medical data, including history, x-rays, test results, recommendations, and other documentation. Agents can help you get data into the right format for emailing or help you determine the best way to ship documents.

Book air travelAgents sometimes have arrangements with airlines for good deals on airfares, and booking international flights is usually a standard part of an agent’s service offering.
Obtain visasFor a relatively modest fee, a health travel agent can help you avoid the hassles of purchasing a visa (if required), updating your passport, procuring tourist cards, and hounding the appropriate embassy for service.

Reserve lodging and other accommodationsThese folks can work with your budget and lifestyle preferences to put you in touch with hotels closest to your treatment center; they’ll often book reservations and arrange amenities such as private nursing care. Many agents have forged partnerships with hotels for discounted rates.

Arrange in-country transportation Most agencies either provide transportation from the airport to your hotel or treatment center, or they work directly with the hotel or hospital to arrange transport. If transport is required between your hotel and treatment center, they’ll also help with arrangements.

Help manage post-reatment proceduresAgents can be hugely helpful at the point of discharge from your treatment center, ensuring that your exit paperwork and other documentation are in order.

Help with recovery and recuperation Little publicized and often overlooked are the recovery resorts, surgical retreats, and recuperation hotels that can make a week or two of post-treatment more bearable—sometimes even enjoyable. Agents know all about facilities in their area and work in close partnership with the better ones. The international travel services coordinator at your hospital can also help on this front.

Help with leisure activity planningIf you and your companion are up for a pre- or post-treatment trip, most agents offer assistance with side trips, car rentals, hotels, restaurants, and other travel amenities.

For more information on health travel agents in your preferred destinations, see Chapter Four, “Choosing and Working with a Health Travel Agent.” For information on specific agents, see the “Health Travel Agent” sections in Part Two.

Josef Woodman, Author, Patients Beyond Borders