- If you are planning to travel to another country for medical care, see a travel medicine provider at least 4–6 weeks before the trip to discuss general information for healthy travel and to learn about specific risks related to the procedure and to travel before and after the procedure.
- Make sure that any current medical conditions you have are well controlled, and that your regular health care provider knows about your plans for travel and medical care overseas.
- Check the qualifications of the health care providers who will be doing the procedure and the credentials of the facility where the procedure will be done. Remember that foreign standards for health care providers and facilities may be different from those of the United States. Accrediting groups, including Joint Commission International, DNV International Accreditation for Hospitals, and the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, have lists of standards that facilities need to meet to be accredited.
- Make sure you have a written agreement with the health care facility or the group arranging the trip, defining what treatments, supplies, and care are covered by the costs of the trip.
- If you go to a country where you do not speak the language, determine ahead of time how you will communicate with your doctor and other people who are caring for you.
- Take with you copies of your medical records that include the lab and other studies done related to the condition for which you are obtaining care and any allergies you may have.
- Bring copies of all your prescriptions and a list of all the medicines you take, including their brand names, generic names, manufacturers, and dosages.
- Arrange for follow-up care with your local health care provider before you leave.
- Before planning vacation activities, such as sunbathing, drinking alcohol, swimming, or taking long tours, find out if those activities are permitted after surgery.
- Get copies of all your medical records before you return home.
Risks of Medical Tourism
