Health is one aspect of life where people should choose based on quality rather than on the price.
Medical tourism is the new industry that appeals to those seeking excellent healthcare services billed at low prices.
Indeed, many people in need of urgent medical care choose to go abroad because the service quality is not compromised by the low prices of the procedures.
There are medical tourism hospitals specifically made for foreigners.
Here are five things you should look for in these hospitals.
1.
International Accreditation The Joint Commission International is a non-profit organization that sets the standards for the quality and safety of hospital services.
Other certifying bodies are the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9000) and the International Society for Quality in Health Care.
Hospitals accredited by these organizations, as well as by their own national counterpart of these organizations, have gone through rigorous testing and are in strict compliance with the high standards of quality service and facilities.
2.
Qualified Medical Practitioners International hospitals employ doctors who have passed their board exams, either in their home country or abroad.
Many doctors in medical tourism destinations have earned their degree and were trained in prestigious medicine schools in the United States or Europe.
3.
No or Minimal Language Barrier Concerns Good communication between patient and healthcare provider is a huge factor in expediting the treatment and recovery process.
Your hospital of choice should have hospital staff that understand and speak your language or, at the very least, should have translation services provided by an international patient department.
And you also have to remember that your medical records and any remarks coming from your physician back home are written in English.
4.
Hospital Quality Indicators Examples of these are the mortality rate, nurse-to-patient ration, and Staph (Staphylococcus) infection rate.
Some hospitals publish these pieces of information on their websites, while others don't so you need to call them to learn more about their indicators.
Take these figures and compare them with one of the internationally-accredited medical tourism hospitals.
5.
The Local Reputation A good medical tourism facility nurses a good reputation as a healthcare provider with the locals who received medical care from it.
If you have contacts in your choice of destination, ask them what people think of the hospital.
They will most likely provide an accurate view of the facility, including those who have not received medical care from it.