Sunday, September 9, 2007

Considering traveling abroad for medical care? Here are a few resources:

• Find hospitals overseas that have won accreditation from the Illinois-based Joint Commission International at http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org (click on "Accreditation.") Overseas hospitals with good reputations may not have pursued JCI approval or may be in the process of receiving it, so lack of JCI approval doesn't necessarily mean a hospital is inadequate. Conversely, JCI accreditation doesn't guarantee anything except that a hospital has successfully met standards, including patient outcomes, comparable to those of JCI-accredited U.S. hospitals. Tip: If a hospital's Web site hasn't been translated into English, that could be a sign that you'd have difficulty communicating there.
• "Patients Beyond Borders: Everybody's Guide to Affordable, World-Class Medical Tourism" by Josef Woodman (Healthy Travel Media, 2007), gives concrete advice on planning a medical trip. Woodman traveled extensively in Asia to research the book. A second Singapore edition focuses on hospitals in that country. Available at http://www.amazon.com.
• A physician's assistant started the Web site Medical Nomad ( http://www.medicalnomad.com) after finding dental care abroad that he couldn't afford in the United States. The independent site provides insights into destinations, procedures and planning.
• Healthcare Beyond Boundaries (888-691-4584, http://www.healthbase.com) represents facilities in Singapore, Thailand, India, Turkey and Mexico. As long as you're aware that the site has a financial stake in your decision, you can find useful information, including photographs. -- C.L.