Increase in tourism in vitro fertilization in Europe

In treatment abroad, we saw the growing interest of IVF clinics abroad who are experiencing significant growth in patient numbers between the United Kingdom and other European countries.

The latest report from the European society for human reproduction and Embryology confirms an increase in IVF treatment abroad, The clinical research report of infertility in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland and is based on a sample of 1230 patients visiting these infertlity clinics. See the details of the report in the guardian.

Lack of access to services of in vitro fertilization in the country of origin for more than 40 and legal restrictions on infertility treatment are privileged drivers. The Italy was the largest source of IVF "tourists doctors", responsible for 32% of patients in the search. Next was the Germany (14%), followed by the Netherlands (12%), France (9%) and United Kingdom (5%). The median age was more 37 but British 63.5% of patients were more than 40.

According to the Coordinator of the study, Dr. Francoise Shenfield University College Hospital in London, "Spain and the Czech Republic are popular destinations for oocyte donation. Swedes travel to Denmark for insemination and French Belgium. " She also highlighted the significant numbers of Italians, travelling abroad to receive treatment that was rendered illegal in your country of origin under recent legislation or because they believe that they will receive higher quality care. Extrapolating data, EHSRE estimates 20000 25000 crossborder, fertility treatments are performed each year .IVF related medical tourism is a relatively new but growing trend in the United Kingdom, as delay couples have children in their 40 's and then discover that they have a problem.

IVF Treatment is available in the national health service in the United Kingdom, but access to treatment can be a problem.

Age and waiting lists can be a barrier to treatment. Obese women are excluded from NHS treatment. Demand for egg donation exceeds the supply. (The right donor eggs anononymity was removed in 2005)

Obviously, private IVF treatment is available in the United Kingdom, but this can be expensive and apply the same legal restrictions.

Whereas some areas of medical tourism may be feeling the effects of the recession and the resulting impact on people's pocket, the IVF treatment abroad is an opportunity worth pursuing for IVF clinics abroad who can demonstrate impressive results and meet the needs of the tourist "fertility".

How to perform a medical tourism Conference ...

The Autumn is the season of Conference, and it seems that medical tourism is becoming the most talked about it in the Conference platform. Three years ago, there was little interest in this area, but in 2008, it seems that every company events and Association jumped on the bandwagon Conference.

In recent weeks, I watched the World Congress of health tourism in San Francisco, the Conference of health tourism development in Vienna, the health tourism show in London, the global health Conference in Dubai and spoken on medical tourism for a UK NHS management meeting and Convention Healthcare Cerner in Kansas. My colleague Philip Archbold spoke during the Indian medical tourism Congress in Chennai. Coming ...I'm approaching international travel Conference in Korea and speak at a meeting of the Council of health promotion Cyprus.

Then I became a bit of a "medical tourism Conference groupie ....

But he asks the question: do we need all these events, and they are really worth?

In my previous company, one of the main activities was event planning and management. many of these events were within the health sector. So I have some knowledge about what makes a good event and what can go wrong. Being an attendee/speaker/delegated these events medical tourism has been an eye opener. Frankly, compared to other industries most of them aren't delivering goods.

Where he's wrong?

Here are my top ten recommendations for event organizers: medical tourism

1. set some goals. ...

Most medical tourism events I've attended seems to have some sort of vague objective of "Let's make a lot of people together to" solve some problems "and facilitate some networks (and we'll make a lot of money, while we do it. ..).

2 ...., and measure your success!

If you do not have SMART objectives, you can't measure its success. Sending a postback event search "what do you think of the Conference?" is the usual cop out this respeitomas what's really measure? Most medical tourism conferences don't even bother with this most basic measuring tools.

3. plan the schedule

The current approach seems to be mainly in the sense of "we get the word out". Why not plan a schedule and then identify who would be best to cover specific topics? Let's have some speakers from outside the medical tourism fraternity that can give a different perspective!

4. buy professional specialization

If events are not its expertise central, buy some expert help. Get a professional organizer of events to plan, sell and run the Conference, the medical tourism Association did a great job to get numbers for the San Francisco Congress, but in terms of structure, content and organization.

5. abolish the all-day session

Different people have different information needs. The medical tourism industry is a cauldron of suppliers, buyers, facilitators, insurance companies, etc. Run sessions that address key issues for targeted groups of delegates or specific workshops, minors. Start the day with a lively, thought-provoking keynote presentation then breaks the audience into smaller sessions. The Convention Healthcare Cerner has cracked this one. A lecture by encouraging every day followed by 300 more targeted workshops for 5000 more participants.

6. Fire some speakers

I saw good, bad and just plain horrible this year. My biggest complaint? Speakers who gave a clear and very specific brief ... and then ignore it completely, often doing a presentation "this is what we do in XXXX we wonderful". All speakers are guilty of promoting their own interests and business. That's part of why they are there and what should be expected. But he shouldn't make until 100% of your presentation. If you want me names, I'll send email
them for you ....

7. prohibit the presentation of "target"

The platform of the Conference is not the place to run a 30 minute "propaganda" .... "my country/destination/hospital/company has the" highest quality healthcare "," State of the art technology "etc etc

8. organising

If you're going to try to perform some structured networks or sessions of "buyer meets seller", plan it correctly, make sure the right people and run it as a clock. Take a look at other industries and see how they do it.

9. maintain time

If there's one thing you should do a Conference, especially when it is based on parallel sessions runs on time. If speakers to long-term, turn off the microphone. Dubai could learn a thing or two here.

10. make it fun!

Cheer you! We are human beings. We're out of our regular work for a few days. We enjoy ourselves. Someone please do something different ....!

Finally, a medical tourism Conference not to miss in 2009. the II European Congress on health tourism in Budapest. Why? Under the guidance of a tourism specialist, Dr Uwe Klein, maybe this one will hit the mark?

The smoke and mirrors of medical tourism

When is a facilitator of medical tourism a medical travel agent?
According to our research medical tourism in 2008, about one third of the United Kingdom medical tourists make arrangements through a facilitator of medical tourism. In some countries, such facilitators represent a greater portion of the market and its influence is growing. The concern of many is the uncontrolled growth of the sector and the lack of regulation within it.

Let's say I want to start a business facilitation of medical tourism. It's easy?

What do I need?

I need a name. I'll call my business "Magical Medical travel". I need a phone. I have one of those. I need an Internet connection. I have one of those. I need a Web site to generate some patients. I can create something that will do the work, using a cheap as 1 & 1 Web hosting. I need some hospitals and clinics abroad who are willing to pay me a Commission if I send patients to them. I am sure that I can find some of them. I think I need to find someone in the country of destination that can take care of patients while they are there. ... and maybe some documents that I can get the patient to sign. Oh, and it might be a good idea to invent some testimonies of patients ... You must be a qualified doctor? Well, I am known as Dr Pollard on various internet forums, and got some drpollard @ email addresses, so that should be fine. Cash flow. Well, if I take patients ' money up front and then pay final treatment providers, which is not a problem. I'll buy some advertising online and let him some months before paying the Bill. I'll pay a few hundred pounds to join one of travel medicine associations; that will give me some credibility.

It is very easy really? And that's how has emerged some medical tourism facilitators (not all!). Medical tourism is a very fragmented market and there is a very wide range of facilitators in the business.

Which brings me back to the title of this blog: "When is a facilitator of medical tourism travel agent a doctor?"

In the United Kingdom and in Europe, which is really quite an important issue. Let's expand the question ...

"What is the difference between a medical tourism facilitator who sells a package of travel, accommodation and treatment of a consumer and a regular travel agent who sells an consumers a suite of accommodation, travel and activities related holidays?".

In the United Kingdom, activities of travel agencies are highly regulated. For example, "package travel, package holidays and package Tours regulations" were introduced to protect consumers against unscrupulous travel agents. A package is defined as "pre-arranged combination of at least two of the following components-transport, accommodation and other tourist services".

Thus, it is a facilitator of medical tourism a travel agent? Some would say ... Yes!

And if so, come from package travel regulations and my new business facilitation, Magical Travels doctor may have some problems. This means that my company will be monitored:

What can I say in my site or brochure. The nature of any contracts that I do. The information that you provide to the consumer. Price changes. Safety in case of insolvency. IE. You must be connected.

Regarding the latter, when someone books a holiday in the United Kingdom, many will look to see if the ABTA travel company (Association of British Travel Agents) adherent. This means that the company put a link to an institution authorised on the basis of its turnover. The minimum is £ 20.000 loop.

Even if you pay the connection, you cannot join ABTA, unless you comply with the code of conduct and random inspection.

Let's compare this with the business of travel medicine, an industry that was once described last year by Avery Comarow, as "the Wild West of Medical Care Abroad".

Anyone can set up as a travel agent/facilitator of doctor. There is no regulation. There is no compulsory code of conduct. Anyone can join one of the associations as MTA or TAG E RAG. There is no necessary link.

So that the industry was do to fix the problem?

In the perfect world, we need an ABTA travel medical world-adequately perform a true representative of the Board, that responds to their accession, which publishes an annual report and financial statements, which only accepts Members that meet clearly defined criteria, which inspects Member facilities at random and which requires all members to bring a significant title for the protection of medical travellers.

Likely?

I doubt it.

What is more likely ...

Grows the medical travel, especially on a background of Government controlled by initiatives such as the European directive on Cross Border Healthcare, Governments will begin to regulate medical travel facilitators and agents. Bodies like the ABTA in United Kingdom and similar organizations in other countries likely to favor and support this.

"What makes a medical travel agent any different and exempt from the Regulation of?", they say.

Predict future demand of medical tourism

The latest data on hospital activity in the UK National Health Service provide a useful indicator of where future demand of medical tourism can lie. One of the advantages of the system of public health of the United Kingdom is that with a provider .... the NHS and a paying .... the NHS means that can be captured a massive amount of meaningful data on the State of health of the country, on the demand for health services and on how is changing the profile of population health

How many countries developed with health systems established, the United Kingdom faces the challenge of meeting the needs of an ageing population at a time when there is enormous pressure to reduce or put a hold on public spending and indeed reduce expenditure on health services. All UK hospitals collect data in the same way (well, almost ...) and the data are collected centrally by the NHS.

The following data are drawn from the recent report "Hospital Episode statistics: admitted Patient Care – England 2009/10", published by the NHS information centre.

Take a look at how the demand for NHS hospital services has changed over the past ten years. First let's look at the age profile of patients admitted to hospitals from UK:

In 2009/10 were:

stays in hospital 16,806, 200, an increase of 38 percent in 1999/2000. 1,939 .190 stays for patients aged 0 to 14. an increase of 15 per cent in 1999/2000. 7,333 Mameli 47 stays for patients aged 55 to 59. an increase of 29 percent in 1999/2000. 3,642,940 stays for patients aged 60 to 74. an increase of 48 percent in 1999/2000. 3,837,990 is for patients aged 75 and more, an increase of 66 percent in 1999/2000.

We are living longer, and we're put incredible pressure on hospital services. The average age of the patients has increased from 46 to 51. Fortunately for the NHS, 38% increase in patient numbers was to some extent offset by efficiency – average duration of hospital stay fell 28 percent of 19. 8 days for 5. 6 days.

If you are targeting countries to medical tourism companies, you need to understand the health problems that affect the country's population and more than stretching their health services now or in the future.

In the United Kingdom during the past ten years:

Admissions for diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (including conditions such as arthritis, joint and back problems) have grown more rapidly than any other group of Diagnostics; at 82 percent (from 618.660 admissions in 1999/2000 and 1,126,010 in 2009/10). The number of hospitalizations due to obesity increased in 972 percent! The number of admissions entirely because of alcohol increased by 54 per cent.

So. .. .. If you're in the business of medical tourism and you are targeting the United Kingdom or other Western markets and developed, and you're working on your plan five years ....

.... give some thought to where the future demand for medical tourism is likely to come and tailor your offer as a result of service.

If you want to read in detail the report, you can view a full version of the report here.

Choice of patients in medical tourism ...Let's listen to the voice of the patient.

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The recent Medical Tourism Climate Survey conducted by IMTJ for the European Medical Travel Conference 2010 provided an interesting insight into the current state of the industry and how people in the industry are thinking about medical tourism. The survey analyzed the views of over 250 people involved in medical tourism from 55 countries. One particular question that drew my attention was one that asked people in the industry about the factors that influence patient choice. The question was this:

"What factors do you think are important to medical tourists when they choose a healthcare facility or treatment provider abroad?"

Expertise and qualifications of the doctor/dentist ranked first. Comments and ratings by other patients ranked second.

It's the high ranking of "patient opinion" that surprised me, given the industry's apparent Roosevelt to "buy in" to the concept of patient ratings and reviews. Hospitals worldwide are investing large sums of money in accreditation and quality standards, sometimes as a marketing tool to attract patients and referrers. But very few patients have any idea what JCI accreditation means, or how this can help them to compare quality at different hospitals.

So, how are patients comparing competing destinations and healthcare providers?

The patients evolve into healthcare consumers, they are considering the purchase of healthcare in much the same way that they consider the purchase of any consumer good or service. And medical tourists are no different.

Let's consider the tourism or travel element of medical tourism and medical travel. When consumers are booking a holiday or a hotel, what do they do and where do they go to gather information that will guide their choice. To determine price and availability they visit travel and holiday portals online. Sites such as lastminute.com and Expedia attract massive volumes of traffic. And where do these consumers go to gather "opinion" about quality and services at their destination or hotel. Travel consumers want to hear from "people like me" before they buy .... which is why TripAdvisor has become one of the busiest web sites in the travel sector.

So, what are the options for medical tourists who want to hear from "people like me" before they buy? Many patients whether they are travelling patients or "stay at home" patients make extensive use of patient forums before they make a decision on treatment at home or abroad. Infertility treatment abroad is a good example. Take a look at the Fertility Treatment Abroad section of the FertilityZone web site, and some of the discussions that take place around the services provided by various IVF and infertility clinics abroad:

If you were a patient seeking infertility treatment abroad what would influence your decision more ...

The accreditation status of the clinic? The qualifications of the doctor?

I'm willing to bet that the views of other patients .... "consumer opinion" would be the major influence on your decision. (Obviously, for IVF treatment, patients would also be looking at outcome date/fertilisation rates published by the clinic). This seems to be the conclusion reached by the respondents in the IMTJ Medical Tourism Climate Survey.

So. .. why hasnt the medical tourism sector bought into patient ratings and reviews?

At Treatment Abroad, we were the first to enable medical tourists to rate and review overseas hospitals and clinics. At Medical Tourism Ratings and Reviews, patients can score these clinics and post their comments about the service and treatment received. To enable this, we invest heavily in Bazaarvoice, the world leaders in online rating systems to manage our new service. They make sure that only valid reviews make it on to our medical tourism reviews site. The moderators are well educated, trained and tested to ensure only appropriate user-generated content gets posted. Nevertheless, we are disappointed in the adoption of this reviews system by our clients.

When we promote the reviews system direct to patients and people who have enquired about treatment abroad, we get excellent take up. Patients are keen to share their experiences and benefit from other patients ' experiences. Similarly, some of our clients see the benefit of allowing patients to rate and review their services and actively encourage their past patients to visit the site and post a review. The system is free. It doesn't cost the client a penny extra to participate. But many of our clients are less enthusiastic about patient reviews.

Why is there Roosevelt to encourage patient reviews for medical tourism?

The most common objection from clients is that they are worried about negative reviews. What happens if the patient actually says something that they don't like?

Well, all of the hotels and holiday providers on Trip Adviser know, a negative review may affect their business negatively. Or will it?

On Medical Tourism Ratings and Reviews, we publish negative patient reviews, as long as they are not profane or violate other rules of moderation, such as raising litigation or malpractice issues.

Negative reviews are valuable patient

Negative reviews are of value to the healthcare provider and to healthcare consumers. Negative reviews show credibility – if there are nothing but 5-star reviews for your services, healthcare consumers get suspicious about the authenticity of the content.

Negative reviews also give objective feedback and help healthcare providers uncover blind spots. Perhaps there was a breakdown in the process or poor communication with the patient, or some misinformation in the description of your services on your website. Direct feedback from your patients is the most transparent way to uncover these issues and get them solved quickly.

When we publish a negative review on Medical Tourism Ratings and Reviews, we give the client the chance to respond – to explain what went wrong and to say what they are doing to put things right. Negative reviews which we reject and do not publish (but we do pass to clients) are also incredibly valuable. When patients are upset with your service or their treatment, they sometimes get angry, which can cause them to violate the terms of our review, use profanity, threaten legal action or go off on a tangent – all things that can lead us to reject the review.

Don't ignore negative patient reviews

It's important for healthcare providers not to ignore this information, because if you can uncover and solve a legitimate problem, and complete the circle, it makes it less likely that the patient will spread their rancour to blogs, forums, and other places where you are unable to see, control or address their comments .it's important for healthcare providers to review all negative content, so they can uncover service or system improvements to improve future patient interactions.

The message ... It's time for medical tourism providers to start actively encouraging patients to rate and review their services and to start listening to what patients have to say. Accept that sometimes things go wrong, that patients will be unhappy and will want to tell the world.

You may learn more from getting something wrong than you do from getting something right.

Medical tourism ratings and reviews

Has been a couple of months since we launched the desk doctor ratings and reviews. He met with a response variable medical tourism industry and patients themselves.

Medical tourism ratings and reviews on treatment abroad allows patients to provide feedback about your experience of traveling for treatment abroad. The ratings system and opinions is an integral part of our business philosophy of "helping patients make the right choice." It runs through Bazaarvoice, world leading U.S. based on reviews of systems that operate similar systems for companies such as Dell, Sears, Argos and many others.

When a patient presents a review of an agency of medical tourism, a hospital or a clinic, the revision is marked by the team of reviews to ensure that:

The review is valid comment, honest and fair. There is a spurious revision that has been "invented" by a health care provider to promote its facilities or damage the reputation of a competitor. The review does not contain profanity or inappropriate content. The revision does not raise issues of legal liability.

Health care providers and agencies are the opportunity to answer any negative comments.

So. .. What do providers think ratings and reviews of health care?
Is interesting…. medical tourism agencies and health care providers that are "marketing oriented" adopted the approach with enthusiasm. See it as a highly attractive way of generating "word of mouth ' recommendation of its services and do not cost a dime.

Companies like beautiful tours in South Africa and Europe vital in Hungary are actively encouraging your patients to review their services:

Others are less enthusastic .... and I don't know why! Is because they are afraid of patients posting negative comments about your experience? Is because they simply are not connected to the power of "word of mouth" and how consumers whiuch are using the Web to influence the purchase of products and services?

The experience of other sectors shows that:

63% of consumers are more likely to purchase a vendor, if you have ratings and reviews. 77% of online shoppers use reviews and ratings when buying. 82% of people who read reviews said that their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews.

Asking people to register their medical tourism experiences should encourage more patients to travel for treatment abroad. And medical tourism, ratings and reviews should help health care providers to tune the "voice of the patient".

So. .. what patients think that?
They love! Feedback about your experiences of medical tourism is overwhelmingly positive, and it's helping to reassure other patients who are considering traveling doctors. Patients are health consumers; typical consumer behavior and is beginning to influence the way they buy health care. If can rate and review your hotel or vacation experience at TripAdvisor .... why not do the same for the medical course?

NHS Patient Choice-lessons for medical tourism

In the United Kingdom, "patient choice" is one of the driving forces in the area of health. Since April 2008, choice of patients was extended in the United Kingdom. Patients can choose which are treated in hospital .... anywhere in the country. Patients can choose the time of his appointment of hospital. In some cases, patients can choose individual consultant who see. The NHS Choices website lists information about all NHS hospitals, such as its MRSA rates, facilities and ratings and feedback by patients means that patients can make an informed choice.

The NHS Choose and Book site allows people to make their choices.
In reality, the initiative of choice for patients was a bit of a disappointment. One problem is that there are actually aware patients that they have a choice. The report of the national patient Choice survey, England-December 2008 examined patient acceptance of choice so far.

The main conclusions:

The percentage of patients, remembering to be offered a choice of hospital for your first outpatient appointment was 46% in December 2008, the same as in September, but above 30% in the first search (May/June 2006) 50% of patients were aware before they visited your GP that they had a choice of hospitals for your first appointment, up 48% in September and 29% in May/June 2006 survey.

The factors influencing the choice

Hospital Cleaning and low infection rates were given in most cases (in 74% of patients) as an important factor in choosing a hospital. The other five are the quality of care (given by 64% of patients), waiting periods (63%), the friendliness of the staff (57%), the reputation of the Hospital (55%) and location or transport considerations (54%).

So what medical tourism companies learn from this?

If UK patients may compare Hospitals NHS MRSA rates, rates of infection post operative and results, because they can't make it to hospitals abroad? Or maybe, because it is difficult if not impossible, to find a hospital medical treatment of tourists who publishs such data or make available for free on your site?

Many people in the United Kingdom are entitled under EU law to travel abroad for treatment. The EU directive establishes a framework around this. but the fundamental right of free movement already exists. So why aren't people taking advantage of this?

They don't know that they are entitled. They do not "rely" hospitals abroad. They would prefer to wait for treatment on the NHS in your local area.

Awareness of the options of treatment abroad can be generated by the providers themselves. One of the best tools to consider is the use of the stories of patients to create local press coverage and thereby raise awareness. See this story on Scottish. Let's see more of them!

medicaltourism.com .... go, go away?

What is a domain name worth? Especially in the business of medical tourism growth.

The medical tourism Association (of which my company is a member) recently announced that it is handling the sale of domain name medicaltourism.com, on a Commission basis. A reserve price of around $ 100000 has been put up for sale.

That raises the question of how you consider a domain name and what is a Valley really worth?

The domain medicaltourism.com was originally belonging to Sparrow Mahoney, who ventured into the medical tourism after experiencing low cost surgery in Croatia after a car accident. Now the Sparrow flew medical tourism roost. The domain has been purchased by a third party looking to make a fast buck.

Here are some prices recent domain sales in the health sector:

healthstore.com 27.500 $ healthcaresolutions.com $ 10.700 healthinsurer.com 4.595 $ healthglobal.com $ 2700

So, would you pay $ 100000 by medicaltourism.com?

There are certainly some value the words of domain name within a domain name can influence your Google rankings, but it certainly is not an important factor. There is value in a domain name if it was associated with a strong brand or an existing Web presence.

The medicaltourism.com:

Bidding will take place in the World of medical tourism and World Health Congress in San Francisco in September.

All offerings?

Light at the end of the tunnel of medical tourism?

After my desabafos on "perspectives for medical tourism in 2010," I am pleased to say that I have received some positive feedback (always a good thing .... I'll keep on blogging!). And some assurance that I'm not alone in my point of view of the world medical tourism.

In particular, one of the long established medical tourism facilitators told me "as he was" in 2009 and how they think he could be in 2010. It's refreshing to hear someone being open and upfront about their experiences in medical tourism business and the challenges facing people in business.

I'd like to share some of these comments with other people of the world medical tourism. Here's what he was really like in 2009 to the business of a medical tourism, a business that is well established, well executed, and is not a shoe "a man and his dog". I'll respect your confidentiality and not the name of the undertaking concerned.

The view on the market
Here is our medical tourism facilitator had to say about 2009:

"Having dabbled in elective surgery market and came to the same conclusions as you .... that continue to this sector which would need to consolidate and concentrate on niche or a little more specialised sectors. Otherwise, we're finding it become a "Jack of all trades and master of none".

Last year was a very bad year. We were very busy with requests for information, but our conversion rate was disappointing and for those who convert, average spending was down. We put the conversion issues down to a 50/50 mixture of:

Recession-people don't pass, or when they are traveling for treatment, they are spending less. Competition-it seems that in the past 18 months that all people in Europe, with a fourth vague and who knows a dentist, jumped on the bandwagon of medical tourism.

Another factor that helped isn't the pound sterling against other currencies, especially the euro; This meant a 20% increase in costs and prices. This only apply to the cost of treatment but stay of patients while they are away. (Hotel rates are more expensive, eating out is more expensive etc). The effect has been significant. Our patient numbers fell by 30% in 2009 and the average spend per patient decreased by 25%. "

Thus, a difficult time for this business of medical tourism. But is not exclusive. Some dental clinics in Europe have been related to similar experiences. An implant Center in Budapest reported numbers of patients abroad down by over 20% and 25% similar fall on average spend per patient.

These experiences reflect the reality of medical tourism business in a recession?

Lies, damn lies and statistics?
The United Kingdom is a country where we can count things. We have a National Institute of statistics and employing about 4000 civil servants who count things ... including medical travelers. In treatment abroad, we can do our part to keep public employees in jobs, buying the data they produce – more specifically, the international Passenger Survey (IPS), a survey of a random sample of passengers entering and leaving the United Kingdom by air, sea or the channel tunnel. IPS attempts to identify the number of people traveling both inside and outside the United Kingdom United Kingdom where the main reason for the trip is the medical treatment (unlike business or vacation).

Now ... you need to take these statistics with a pinch of salt too large. Statistics contain statistical errors and the smaller the sample, the greater the risk of error.

Here is a graph of data showing medical travellers IPS of United Kingdom emerged from 2002 to 2009 (projected third quarter statistics). The sample size is small-these data about 50 to 100 the number of real travellers interviewed in each quarter, who stated that their main reason for the trip was a doctor. Thus, there is space for large variations in data!

But, it may well be that a reflection of the actual medical tourism trends in the UK and for 2009, in fact, it may reflect the experiences of many on the market that saw the number of tourists doctors in decline over the past 18 months or so, since the credit crunch hit.

Light at the end of the tunnel?
Our medical tourism facilitator cited above has a more positive outlook for the future:

"We have seen an increase in numbers of reservation of Dentistry in 2010. January is already up 100% in January 2009 (and almost the same number as in 2008, so something is starting to change.

With a good economic news on the horizon in the United Kingdom, we may be seeing an increase in consumer confidence. House prices increase and saw a return to economic growth, although not as good as many would have expected. Let's wait to see what the effect can be about unemployment. But, like many industries, medical tourism follows the trends of economy as a whole. Medical tourism is not immune to recession and certainly not thrives on it.

The way forward focus and think niche
Back to our facilitator of medical tourism, which is planning strategy for 2010:

"Our progress for 2010 will expand further dentistry and focus more on cosmetic surgery. We had taken a step in plastic surgery in 2009 due to the difficult climate and similar to your points (Keith Pollard) on offer too, we recognize that rather than being a "Jack of all trades ....", we need to have a separate Department. Having the same team alternating between the two products (Dentistry and cosmetic surgery) actually works. "

And our medical tourism facilitator concludes with a message to everyone in the industry:

"Totally agree with the conclusions of the article and recognize that this medical tourism industry is not as simple and as great as people have done. Only companies that maintain the adaptation and recognize the importance of focus and having the right resources to manage a specific sector of the industry will survive or commercially viable. "

Do concerns about MRSA and hospital infection per unit patients abroad?

Medical tourists travelling abroad for treatment, simply don't do it to save money. In our soon to be published "Survey medical tourism", 56% of respondents who went to elective surgery abroad said that cares about the risk of MRSA infection/hospital NHS hospitals were a factor "very important" or "very important".

According to latest data from the health protection agency, there was a drop of 18 percent in cases of MRSA in England from July to September, compared to the previous quarter (April to June). This is a drop of about 230 cases per quarter. However, there was still 1072 cases reported in England in July and September 2007.

The latest figures c. difficile show that there were 10.734 cases in patients aged 65 years and over in England, reported in the third quarter of 2007. This is a reduction of 21% in the previous quarter. In patients between 2 and 64 years old, 2.496 c. difficile cases were reported in the third quarter of 2007.

Then .... There is some indication that the NHS is having some success in improving their bad reputation hospital infection. But there's an awfully long way to go. The United Kingdom is way behind countries such as Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain in control of MRSA infection rates and hospital. (See statistics MRSA in United Kingdom and Europe).

Until the NHS can reduce hospital infection rates for a minimum level, the concerns of patients will continue to be a factor in which people choose treatment in private hospitals in the United Kingdom or treatment abroad.

Medical tourism ... lessons from the California gold rush

In 1848, gold was discovered in California by John Sutter, a German immigrant. Find news spread rapidly and thousands arrived in search of their fortune. Prospectors lighthouses came through the United States, Hawaii, Mexico, Chile, Peru and China. Had begun to the California gold rush. Output of California gold rose from $ 5 million in 1848, $ 40 million in 1849 and $ 55 million in 1851. But there wasn't enough gold to go around .... only a minority of garimpeiros made much money of California Gold Rush ... the best equipped and better informed, better organised and resourced.

Others also made money. salon owners (and holders of brothel!) that kept the Prospectors entertained earned a profit healthy, and so did entrepreneurs and storeowners who provided the material and tools that Surveyors needed (often the exorbitant prices).

There are some similarities and some lessons here for those involved in the gold rush of medical tourism?

The discovery of gold of medical tourism ....
While the concept of traveling for treatment has been around for centuries, was probably around 2005 when the gold rush medical tourism took off. He still continues until today and shows little sign of abating. News appeared around the world about an outbreak in medical tourism – patients travelling to save money on treatment costs (as opposed to seeking medical services and the quality of health care that was not available in your country). The first prospectors lighthouses appeared-agents and medical tourism facilitators and overseas of hospitals and clinics, seeking their fortune in the world of medical tourism.

Word spreads, prospectors lighthouses chase the dream of gold of medical tourism ....
The tales of medical tourism gold began to multiply. Estimates of the number of tourists doctors were in hundreds of thousands, millions and then tens of millions. Some medical tourism prospectors lighthouses questioned the validity of these claims of discovery of a rich vein of income or whether it was sustainable.

Involved the early gold rush exaggerated their successes, claiming that is massive (for example, "a million tourists doctors to ....), encouraging others to join agitation. Health care providers throughout the world entered the race-Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Jordan, the Philippines, Tunisia, Turkey, Eastern Europe, many of them supported by their advice desk, health departments and governmental initiatives that saw medical tourism as a rich source of foreign exchange.

... .without thinking or understand what is really involved
New entrants chased the dream without really thinking through your strategy and approach to the market. Some were poorly equipped to market; Some have entered the market without realizing what it might cost to be successful; Some were looking for gold medical tourism in place completely wrong!

A community of medical tourism develops prospectors lighthouses
As the number of medical tourism grew, other prospectors lighthouses (guardians saloon) arrived quickly to profit from this growing community and storeowners and tool vendors appear guide the Surveyors in their quest for gold.

Salon owners arrived in the form of associations and medical tourism conferences that earn their money from membership fees and delegate rates. They provided a place where Prospectors could get together, but they also built on the hype, recount stories of the most recent discoveries and attract more people to the gold rush of medical tourism. Naturally, the more people in the gold rush, the more people there are in the saloon and more money there must be made by the owner of Salon.

Entrepreneurs and storeowners also arrived on the scene to provide the tools that the Surveyors needed the goldmine of medical tourism. Sites like our own (treatment Abroad) that connect patients with suppliers, systems companies like health Travel Technologies and e-Medsol that provide systems to manage patients and consultancies, strategists and advisors as Irving Stackpole and Vivek Shukla which help gold Prospectors find medical tourism came to exist. Are these entrepreneurs and owners of shops (including my own treatment Abroad "shop") leveraging prospectors lighthouses uninformed, providing products and services of poor quality and overloads for them. Or are they providing wisely quoted services and much needed tools that will bring long-term success for those who use them wisely? Only time will tell .... and it will be the success of the prospectors lighthouses that determine our success.

Gold runs out ... or is it more difficult to find and mines
As in the California gold rush, the reality was unable to meet the expectations of many prospectors. Clinics, hospitals and facilitators are finding it harder to acquire patients and there is a lot of competition out there. However, for many continues the mentality of gold rush.

After the gold rush?
So what is the likely outcome of all this? What can we expect in the next step of the gold rush of medical tourism? In my next blog post, I'll give some thought that will find gold and how will the industry to develop.

Change in the law of the United Kingdom can reduce infertility tourism

One factor that can affect any aspect of medical travel and medical tourism is that the industry can be a victim of its own success. Constantine Constantinides highlighted this previously in his article IMTJ "medical tourism and revenge of the West", arguing that in fact the success of medical travel is self-limiting.

How can this success be self-limiting?

In the case of treatment abroad becomes an attractive option for patients, domestic suppliers and Governments can respond to this trend, becoming more competitive (e.g. by reducing prices to local treatment) or removing the causes and the drivers for the medical travel (for example, changing the location regualtion treatment). Thus, more patients travelling abroad for treatment, the greater the reaction in the internal market and a "balance of trade".

An excellent example of this phenomenon is this week's announcement by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that intends to undertake a consultation on changes to the rules governing the donation of sperm and ova in the United Kingdom. There was a significant shortage of egg and sperm donors in the United Kingdom due to restrictions in respect of payments that can be made to donors. The compensation payment "maximum" £ 250 for donors of men and women made the search for donor eggs and sperm has far exceeded supply. Waiting lists can be as long as two or three years for these patients eligible for NHS treatment.

Removal of donor anonymity has also been a contributing factor to the donor reluctance to come forward. According to the latest HFEA statistics (2008), women only 1184 have donated eggs and only had 396 new sperm donors in 2008. About 2.000 babies per year are born in the United Kingdom using donated eggs, sperm and embryos. As a result, we have seen a growing number of UK couples seeking infertility treatment abroad; has been one of the fastest growing areas of medical tourism. (Background, see "new research paper provides an overview of infertility tourism"). The HFEA's response to the growing number of infertile couples going abroad is therefore consider how to reduce this .... by increase payments and incentives to egg and sperm donors and thus increase the supply of eggs and sperm. Payments may increase more than £ 1000.

It is unlikely that changes will have any immediate effect on the market sector. No decision will be made until the end of the public consultation HFEA next year. The three-month public consultation will not start until January 2011 and HFEA is expected to be included in Commission of Quality Care in the United Kingdom as a result of public spending cuts to UK. But there is a clear warning here for those involved in medical tourism and travel medicine sector. Don't put all eggs in one basket. Or, even worse, be aware that any segment of the market desk doctor may be limited by their own success when domestic suppliers and Governments seek to reverse the trend.