Medical Tourist

Medical Tourism for Patients

Here at International Medical Tourism Chamber of Commerce we believe in people who care about most important things.

IMTCC is here to help healthcare providers and other stakeholders to pave the way for high quality patient advocacy.

Thanks to you, we can help healthcare providers, patient advocates and insurance experts to give you best possible experience while you are traveling for medical services.

If you are looking for advocacy, aftercare and accountability, IMTCC is an organization focused on reinforcing these pillars.

Step 1

To provide patients with “fee-based Patient Advocacy Services,” including transparent information about treatment and provider options that enable the patient to make informed choices.

The GPA will help to plan and coordinate all services necessary for the patient between other participating Chamber members and providers. Their goal is to provide continuous advocacy services, collaborate with their destination country peers and see that even the patient’s local doctor is ready to assist with continuance of care upon their return.

The IMTCC GPA contracted services to the patient defines and underscores his/her unbiased allegiance to the patient rather than the medical providers since the contracted fee (compensation) model does neither depend on nor fluctuate based on the amount of the surgery or the surgeon/hospital chosen as compared to the current popular model of medical travel facilitation.
Working with other Chamber members that embrace and understand the Standards is of paramount importance in providing cohesive services and values, including transparency and integrity.

Due to their experience and training, along with exclusive working relationships with other IMTCC providers in the destination country, they can identify barriers, implement plan development, coordinate pre and post op care, continuum of care (once they return to their home country) and provision the resources their patient will need every step of the way.

Step 2

In the patient’s initial planning phase, the GPA’s role is to provide unbiased and transparent information, resources and guidance in the form of an “IMTCC Treatment Plan©,” created jointly with the IMTCC medical provider(s).

This format empowers the patient to be able to approach his Primary Care Physician about his detailed options of care and treatment while abroad and reassures both parties that the strictest of pre and post-op precautions are being taken and the best care and support will be delivered. Such standardized protocol has been shown to increase PCP’s awareness of thorough medical accompaniment and his/her willingness to provide continuance of care should it be needed.
It is also a way to minimize “hidden costs” so often associated with the current model of Medical Tourism by transparently disclosing not only the costs of the procedures but also the costs of Aftercare, support, medications and therapies that are typical for the planned procedures. While costs may vary somewhat depending on the individual’s needs, the customary costs are known and the patient needs to be informed beforehand. Hidden costs can add up very quickly and the patient begins to feel “nickel and dimed,” eroding trust and professionalism.

Step 3

Once a decision is made and the patient prepares for his trip, the GPA will coordinate the patient’s entire journey with the patient’s chosen surgeon and the GPA Liaison (or “GPAL”) in the destination country, whenever possible, as the Chamber network grows.

This coordination is accomplished with a “Concierge Summary Checklist©” to the destination country GPAL which details the patient’s planned medical procedures along with the surgeon’s pre and post op care protocols for the patient and advance scheduling needs for their ancillary and support services required by IMTCC standards. All scheduling and coordination of these needs is the role of the GPAL and the IMTCC Concierge Desk, assuring required delivery of care and compliance with pre and post-op surgical instructions.
Having all of these tasks coordinated and scheduled before the patient arrives frees the patient from undue stress and concern, allowing them to concentrate on their surgical procedure.
Working with other Chamber members that embrace and understand the Standards is of paramount importance in creating consistency and building trust and value for the patient.

Due to their experience and training, along with exclusive working relationships with other IMTCC providers in the destination country, the GPA/GPAL can identify barriers, implement plan development, coordinate pre and post op care, continuum of care (once they return to their home country) and provision the resources their patient will need every step of the way.

Step 4

Once home again, the GPA will assure the patient’s medical record transfer from the foreign surgeon and the GPAL and that the patient’s Primary Care Physician has all the information s/he needs to provide continuum of care should it be required. Any and all further support or advocacy services that the patient requires related to their procedure abroad will be handled by their GPA upon return.

Returning home with accurate and complete information about their procedure, medications, recovery and detailed instructions about necessary continued follow-up is often the hardest “Best Standard” to accomplish. If the patient attempts to collect this alone, it is almost impossible and often it is not translated and incomplete, which does not help their Primary Care Physician feel comfortable continuing care, understandably. A “facilitator” in the patient’s home country does not usually have the resources to track down and compile this information on the behalf of their patient either.
Yet if it is funneled through a centralized channel (as in our IMTCC Concierge Desks) and compiled daily, it is easily bequeathed to the patient upon their departure. Having this readily available with accurate and complete information about their procedure, medications, recovery and detailed instructions about necessary continued follow-up reassures the PCP of the integrity of their patient’s care, seeing the strictest of pre and post-op precautions were taken and the best care and support was delivered. Such standardized protocol has been shown to increase PCP’s awareness of thorough medical accompaniment and thus his/her willingness to provide continuance of care should it be needed.
The GPA can help the patient and/or PCP arrange still-needed therapies and facilitate communication between the two medical providers through the Concierge Desk and GPAL if necessary. If the patient requires the GPA to intervene or provide advocacy services with their local PCP, the GPA can do that as well.

A GPAL (GPA Liaison) and Concierge Desk is instrumental in navigating the complex international healthcare system “on the ground” in the destination country and expertly orchestrating communication and services between all the fragmented parties that play a role in the patient’s experience.

IMTCC Global Patient Advocate's Responsibilities

The IMTCC was founded to provide more than simple industry guidelines and theory…
but an actual SYSTEM and Standardized Protocols to insure that every Chamber member has the proven tools and trusted connections to help consistenty deliver the Best Patient Experience Possible.

Based on a successful system developed over ten years of actual utilization,
the IMTCC Best Standards of Practice have been shown to:

significantly reduce the incidence of complications
guarantee compliance with pre- and post-op surgical requirements and instructions
provide all-important medically appropriate aftercare and support for the patient
help to assure optimal surgical results and exemplary patient experiences

PATIENT ADVOCACY

Learn more about Patient Advocacy and how IMTCC helps to pave the way to accreditations for better medical tourism.