An Approach to Establishing International Quality Standards for Medical Travel

Ondřej Kácha, Beáta E Kovács, Cormac McCarthy, Angela A T Schuurmans, Christopher Dobyns, Elisa Haller, Saba Hinrichs, Kai Ruggeri

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)
206 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The number of individuals traveling abroad is increasing annually. The rising popularity of medical travel and the absence of clear minimum quality requirements in this area urgently call for the development of international standards to ensure good practice and patient safety. The aim of this study is to identify the key domains in medical travel where quality standards should be established. Drawing from the evidence-based OECD framework and an extensive literature review, this study proposes three critical areas for consideration: minimum standards of health-care facilities and third-party agencies, financial responsibility, and patient centeredness. Several cultural challenges have been introduced that may pose a barrier to development of the guidelines and should be taken into consideration. Establishing international quality standards in medical travel enhances benefits to patients and providers, which is an urgent necessity given the rapid growth in this industry.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)29
JournalFrontiers in Public Health
Volume4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Mar 2016

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