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Medical Tourism Service Facilitators: Pros and Cons
Medical Tourism Service Facilitators: Pros and Cons
To mention the pros and cons of going with a medical tourism companies (also known as medical tourism facilitators, medical tourism intermediaries, medical tourism provider, or health tourism provider) for your medical travel, it's very important to first understand what they do.
The figure below sums up most of the important activities that a medical tourism facilitator performs for a medical tourist.
The above has been well explained by Dr Prem Jagyasi in "The Role Of Facilitator In Medical Tourism".
In short, a medical tourism facilitator is a company or an organization that provides seamless combination of all the arrangements required for your medical tourism needs.
There are two kinds of medical tourist:
1. Medical tourists who hire medical tourism facilitators or intermediaries
2. Medical tourists who approach the providers directly for all the information and make the entire arrangements themselves.
So what are the pros and cons of going with a medical tourism facilitator?
Pros:
1. One stop shop The convenience provided by a facilitator is un-matched. Once you decide on a facilitator, you can get variety of options and hospitals available at their disposal. Medical tourists can request information on pricing, hospitals, doctors etc. and choose the option that suits them the best. All other activities such as logistics, documentation, and travel are also taken care by them, thereby reducing you burdens.
2. Experience and Know-how Most of the good medical tourism facilitators have done all the legwork required to provide you with the best and most legitimate information about the service providers. To make sure your trip is as hassle free as possible, they make sure the hospitals and doctors the medical tourist chooses are properly certified. Preferably the facilitators have a process in place with the service providers to cater to their customers.
3. Savings You can save quiet a bit by taking the bundling packages medical tourism facilitators offer. It is cheaper than going to individual service providers for their services. Also, facilitators can help you budget your expenditure due to their past experience and make you aware of the unexpected expenses.
4. Representative They can act as your representative in hotel bookings, appointments with doctors etc. reducing your burden. Also, in any un-eventuality, having someone known in a foreign country can always come in handy.
5. Logistics arrangements They arrange all your travel and tourism arrangements during your stay and recommend the must see tourist spots in the city/country.
6. Post-procedure follow up Your relationship with the medical tourist facilitator does not end after your treatment. They are by your side during the postoperative phase, if you need any assistance with the service providers.
7. No language and cultural issues Reputed medical tourism companies have facilitated many medical tourists. Even though you go with a facilitator from your country, the local representative in the visiting country most probably will be a local. Facilitators make sure that the representatives speak your language, understand your need and the cultural differences and are experienced enough to have the right processes in place to put you at ease.
Cons:
1. Varying quality of services There are various players in the market, of varying shapes and sizes and varying capacity. It can be a challenging task to choose a facilitator, as there is lack of differentiation. The websites look the same their offerings are indistinguishable and their process almost identical. Doing your homework is very important before identifying the right facilitator for you.
2. Limited choice Every facilitator has a limited number of service providers they work with. The reason being, there are hundreds of service providers in a country and it makes more business sense for the facilitators to partner with only a few. Ever facilitator will tell you that the service providers they have partnered with are the best in the country (not always true). So as a consumer, you are not exposed to all the options in the market. In this scenario you don't always get the best option for your needs.
3. Pricing Convenience isn't free and don't believe it even if the facilitators say so. You will be paying a premium for all the benefits you get by hiring a facilitator. The mark up can go up to 20% (from a Mckinsey report on medical tourism)
4. Miscommunication The least of the concerns but can have a huge impact. Having a middleman can lead to miscommunication between the patient and the service provider. Its essential that you have everything in writing and have double-checked for errors.
There are definite advantages and disadvantages of going with a medical tourism facilitator. I hope this post has answered some of your concerns. The Best Holiday Accommodation in Cannes Career Opportunities In Foreign Countries Preparing For the Holiday Season Honeymoon Destinations In Kerala The God's Own Country The Battle of Christmas Marine Virus Decided Climate Share And Enjoy Your Christmas Hd Camcorder Videos Without Video Format Issue Brazil Tourist Attractions New Luggage Solutions to Your Holiday Woes Botswana Tourist Attractions Kerala Tour Explore Magnificent Attractions Coastal Holidays Rv Travel: A Simple Guide For Newbies