Do your research
The internet has played a big part in opening up the international medical travel market. Clinics and hospitals can now market themselves globally. Consumers can take 3-D virtual tours of clinics thousands of miles away and view ‘before’ and ‘after’ testimonials of previous patients.
Unless you have a personal recommendation of a clinic for your treatment, you will be relying on internet research to find the best destination. But before you start researching clinics, it pays to learn as much as you can about the treatment you require. The better informed you are, the better position you’re in to make the right decisions.
Research project 1: Start by reading up on your condition or treatment on the most reputable medical sites in your home country. Here are some questions to consider:
-
What are the latest advances in the field and if there are any, will you be eligible?
-
What is the recuperation time for the treatment you require?
-
What are the side effects?
Research project 2: Draw up a shortlist of destinations, with the help of the destination guide in Step 3 of this guide. Then find out the length of flight to your destination, whether you can fly from an airport near to your hometown, and how much you will need to spend on accommodation and food while you’re there. Another consideration is communication - how widespread your first language - or second if you have one – in your chosen destination?
Research project 3: Identifying clinics in your chosen destination is usually as simple as putting the name of the treatment and the country into a search engine such as Google. You can then visit each site and start to check out the reputation of any clinics that appeal to you. You’ll find more details on how to do this in Step 4.
10 Steps to Successful Treatment Overseas
