Choosing a hospital or clinic

Choosing the right hospital or clinic is one of the most important decisions before traveling abroad for medical care. Here are brief guidelines for medical tourists to help them check out and choose the right healthcare provider for overseas treatment.

General Information

While choosing a healthcare provider abroad first of all try to collect information about medical facility since the more you know, the more prepared you are. Usually all information about clinic or hospital is available on the official website, e-brochure or catalogue. You can also obtain such information by contacting medical center’s representative for international patients or medical facilitator’s manager.

International Accreditation, Certification & Affiliation

Accreditation is the best way to ensure strict external evaluation when medical centers meet standards established by an external accrediting body. In other words, by accreditation medical tourists are ensured for receiving quality treatment and care, regardless of the location of the healthcare facility.

Established authorities for international accreditation are:

  • JCI – the Joint Commission International – leading accreditation organization for medical facilities worldwide
  • ISO – the International Organization for Standardization
  • ISQua – the International Society for Quality in Health Care

Other international accreditation organizations such as:

  • ESQH – European Society for Quality in Healthcare
  • ACI – Accreditation Canada International
  • ACHS/ACHSI – the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards

Local medical certification: medical centers of destination countries may be certified by their own accreditation bodies, e.g:

  • Malaysian Society for Quality in Health – MSQH
  • Thai Healthcare Accreditation – HA
  • Indian National Accreditation Board for Hospitals – NABH etc.

So the second step is checking out if considered medical center certified or not and if the certification is still up-to-date.

Hospital affiliation may also be a consideration as some international medical centers abroad are affiliated with well known American or western clinics, hospitals or universities. So check whether your medical center is officially managed or affiliated with such healthcare providers.

Non-medical Considerations

Another important consideration is the destination country. You should weigh up the pros and cons since there are some factors like culture, language, proximity, treatment cost, type and outcome that should be considered when deciding where to go. You should also be aware of visa requirements and extension allowances.

It is worth noting that foreign healthcare providers in some popular destinations offer all-inclusive medical packages bundling travel and medical services into one deal. These packages may include round trip airfare, travel insurance, airport and hotel pick-up, accommodation and treatment costs or other patient’s needs. So check if your destination medical center or medical tourism facilitator offer such deals or what kind of services is included for the total cost.

It would also be wise to learn basic information about local prices of meals or transportation (just in case if you have to use such items) as well as to be informed of local area, whether it is safe to go alone or if you should be accompanied by for aftercare process.

Facilities & Services

One of the important items of your planning checklist before traveling for overseas treatment is checking out the facilities and services of the potential healthcare provider abroad. Here are some useful questions to be asked when selecting foreign medical center.

  • Where will the procedure or surgery take place? In a hospital or at an outpatient clinic?
  • Does the hospital/clinic have intensive care unit in case of emergency?
  • Does the healthcare provider have modern medical equipment / latest technology?
  • Does the hospital/clinic meet national quality standards? Is the healthcare provider affiliated with any reputable Western medical facilities?
  • Does the healthcare provider offer appropriate pharmaceuticals that meet international requirements?
  • What were post-operative infection rates, if any?
  • Does the healthcare provider have any malpractice claims for the type of treatment or medical procedure that you require?
  • What is the clinic / hospital’s success rates with your condition?
  • Does the hospital/clinic have private rooms available?

Extra Services & Aftercare

One of the essentials of successful surgery or any other treatment is aftercare. This is a recovering period when our body needs some time to heal itself after any medical procedure. So in this regard you can also ask the following questions to check:

  • If you need to stay in the hospital/clinic after the procedure or will be discharged and taken to the hotel?
  • Do you need to be accompanied by family member during your procedure / treatment or you can stay alone?
  • If there any contingency plans in case of complications while you are treated?
  • If you need any special care after the procedure/treatment?
  • What kind of nursing services the hospital / clinic provides? Could you have private nurse during your treatment?
  • If the medical staff speaks your native language or is fluent in English?

Quality & Safety

Medical institutions provide quality care when they give their patients the care and treatments known to have the best outcome for patients’ condition. Quality medical care helps to avoid possible problems during and after treatment. Most hospitals have programs to check the quality of the care they provide. They may collect and monitor information from patient charts to see where they can improve patient’s care.

Medical centers involved in health tourism worldwide also report their performance and quality values. Usually all this information is published online and obtainable from their websites or should be provided by the establishment upon patient’s request. So, you can check and evaluate medical center’s quality track record for your certain condition, procedure or treatment.

Another important issue when selecting foreign hospital or clinic is safety. The patient should be aware of the medical center’s policies on safety, inpatient facilities or any precautions for post-treatment care.

Malpractice & Liability

Medical malpractice is professional negligence when the treatment provided by a healthcare provider falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community. As in any medical procedure or treatment, the risks of medical error or complications are always exist but vary by levels. That is why the following questions should be taken into consideration:

  • Does the host country or the healthcare provider compensate victims of malpractice for noneconomic damages? If so, to what extent are awards provided or what are the limits, if any?
  • Does the healthcare provider have a liability insurance policy? If so, to what extent are liabilities covered?
  • Does the healthcare provider have a contract provision for medical malpractice insurance? If so, to what extent are liabilities covered?
  • What is the healthcare provider’s background concerning malpractice claims?
  • Is there any legal aid for foreign patient in case of malpractice in host country? What are the local regulations for medical negligence or what are the differences from those in your country, if any?

Medical Records

The terms medical record, health record, and medical chart are used somewhat interchangeably to describe the systematic documentation of a single patient’s medical history and care across time within one particular health care provider's jurisdiction.[14] The medical records include a variety of types of "notes" entered over time by health care professionals, recording observations and administration of drugs and therapies, orders for the administration of drugs and therapies, test results, x-rays, reports, medical allergies, etc. The maintenance of complete and accurate medical records is a requirement of health care providers.

Traditionally, medical records were written on paper and maintained in folders but the advent of electronic medical records (EMR) has not only changed the format of medical records but has increased accessibility of files.

According to some studies and resources the EMR may eventually help to improve care coordination and to provide better quality care.[15] Since anyone using an EMR can view the patient's full chart, it cuts down on guessing histories, seeing multiple specialists, smooths transitions between care settings, and may allow better care in emergency situations.[16]

So, the patient should also be familiar with how the foreign hospital / clinic handles medical records as they would be reference material for your physician back home, should you need post-treatment check-ups or periodic medical examinations. If the medical center in host country has no EMR capability, do not forget to obtain all copies of your records, which you carry back with you when you return home.

Other Recommendations

When choosing a hospital or clinic it is of great importance to hit the right one and there are other resources that can give patients first-hand information or tips:

  • Family members, friends or relatives
  • Internet resources: blogs, forums, posts, rating sites
  • TV, radio ads
  • Books, magazines, newspapers
  • Health plans
  • Primary doctor or other health professional
  • Word of mouth

Internet may be very useful and helpful as a source of first-hand information about hospital /clinic. But the fact is that the most valuable information while choosing a medical facility abroad comes through the word of mouth.

So, if you are looking for a reliable advice for potential healthcare provider or deciding between an options it is highly recommended to talk to someone else who has already undergone the same medical procedure or any other treatment but in the same medical center.


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