TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence on global medical travel
AU - Ruggeri, Kai
AU - Záliš, Ladislav
AU - Meurice, Christopher R.
AU - Hilton, Ian
AU - Ly, Terry Lisa
AU - Zupan, Zorana
AU - Hinrichs, Saba
PY - 2015/11
Y1 - 2015/11
N2 - The potential benefits of travelling across national borders to obtain medical treatment include improved care, decreased costs and reduced waiting times. However, medical travel involves additional risks, compared to obtaining treatment domestically. We review the publicly-available evidence on medical travel. We suggest that medical travel needs to be understood in terms of its potential risks and benefits so that it can be evaluated against alternatives by patients who are seeking care. We propose three domains -quality standards, informed decision-making, economic and legal protection - in which better evidence could support the development of medical travel policies.
AB - The potential benefits of travelling across national borders to obtain medical treatment include improved care, decreased costs and reduced waiting times. However, medical travel involves additional risks, compared to obtaining treatment domestically. We review the publicly-available evidence on medical travel. We suggest that medical travel needs to be understood in terms of its potential risks and benefits so that it can be evaluated against alternatives by patients who are seeking care. We propose three domains -quality standards, informed decision-making, economic and legal protection - in which better evidence could support the development of medical travel policies.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84946234132&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2471/BLT.14.146027
DO - 10.2471/BLT.14.146027
M3 - Article
C2 - 26549906
AN - SCOPUS:84946234132
SN - 0042-9686
VL - 93
SP - 785
EP - 789
JO - Bulletin of the World Health Organization
JF - Bulletin of the World Health Organization
IS - 11
ER -
