Issues to Consider in Medical Tourism

Last week on our MedFlight911 blog, we discussed the rapid increase in medical tourism and explained the reasons behind this growth. Today, we would like to discuss some concerns you need to think about when traveling internationally, whether it be just for fun or for a medical procedure.

When traveling outside the U.S., what would happen if you had a serious medical emergency? This exact situation happened to my parents when my mother was bitten by a spider, while vacationing in Costa Rica. Fortunately, I was able to talk her through the medical treatment on the phone, but it highlighted the importance of educating yourself about your environment whenever you travel. What are the hospitals like there? Where are the hospitals and how would you get to one? How and where were the doctors trained? Do you speak the language? This information is particularly important if you are planning to have a medical procedure performed. What is something goes wrong? What is your backup plan?

If your procedure does go wrong, how will you get back to the U.S.? I have blogged about when a person is fit to fly and the considerations in traveling commercially with and without an air medical escort. I would never recommend that a patient in medical distress fly alone on a commercial airliner. Even travel with an air medical escort is limited to those patients who are relatively stable. For the majority of patients with a medical emergency, and all of those in acute medical distress, a worldwide air ambulance is the only way to get the patient back to the United States to an appropriate medical facility. An air ambulance is the only transport option that is fast and has the full range of life-supporting equipment.

This is where we come in. We can help you to navigate the intricacies of traveling with a medical condition or while in medical distress. We have global resources and experience with worldwide air ambulance trips. Sometimes, you can't get the care you need a home. We are here to help you get the care you need regardless of location.

For more information on our international air ambulance flights or for a no obligation medical transport quote, contact us at 888.359.1911.