Study shatters misconceptions about developing Indian medical tourism

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A new study by Kristen Smith from the Centre for Health and Society, University of Melbourne has recently been published on Academia.edu. The study, entitled Medical Tourism in India – Economic Development and the Global Healthcare Industry, tackles the development of medical tourism, both as an industry and a practice, within the world system. The research involved five large private hospitals in Mumbai, which represent expectations and projections on the development of Indian medical tourism.

One of the foremost findings is that medical tourism in India as a revenue catchment is a running belief. It is expected to increase export earnings by attracting foreign spending within India, which would help real economic development and lower fiscal deficit.

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The study, however, argues that the development of medical travel is merely a part of the development of the Indian healthcare industry. The government has been spending on the industry with a view to improving existing infrastructure as a driver of growth in the medical travel sector.

Another prevalent belief is that medical tourism will improve local health systems. The study sees this as a misconception, noting the absence of mechanisms to ensure developments in the Indian medical travel sector will lead to public benefit.

Finally, it is also believed that medical travel will help improve India’s healthcare standards. The study strained to point out that it doesn’t follow; medical travel could even undermine standards. Widespread adoption of international standards in healthcare may lead to better treatments, but the required improvements on infrastructure may lead to higher costs on healthcare for local patients.

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Satori World Medical is a renowned leader in medical travel services. For more information about India as a medical travel destination, visit the company’s official website.

Baja California and medical tourism in Mexico

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While the cost of care in the U.S. continues to be an issue for many, hospitals overseas continue to attract more patients. As predicted by experts, however, the popular destinations for medical travel are not only banking on the lower cost of care to convince more patients to come to their medical facilities.

Other than lower costs, consumers also place high priority on convenience and comfort, which contribute to speedy recovery and draw many from the Latino community in the US to countries like Mexico. The border country is close to home and hosts highly qualified doctors who fill their expectations in treatments.

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Mexican state Baja California has been actively promoting Mexico as a medical travel destination. Every year, Baja California attracts about 450,000 tourists, mostly from the US. Seeing an opportunity for further growth, the border state’s local government has been formulating a plan to increase investment in its facilities and specialists.

The plan involves investing 15 million Mexican pesos to attract 15 million medical travelers, who are then expected to bring in an additional $8 million in resources. Currently, the plan blankets about 10 hospitals, 12 pharmaceutical chains, and 600 medical specialists. In addition, Mexican tourism authorities expect higher accessibility borne of an exclusive medical lane for border crossings. Mexican medical travel has created inroads, to say the least.

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Satori World Medical is connected with many high quality hospitals and highly skilled surgeons around the world. For an idea of what Mexico has to offer in terms of medical travel, visit the company’s official website.

Patient satisfaction: Meeting the expectations of medical travelers

What does it take to satisfy the multitudes of patients who are seeking a different care experience outside the country?

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For some time, the main appeal of medical travel to many individuals was that it provided an additional option for medical treatment with lower cost than those from local care providers. Currently, the cost of care remains as an important factor, but with the spread of information regarding the high quality of care in medical centers overseas, more and more patients are looking into medical travel not merely as an option that allows them to save on costs but also as something that allows them to have access to the kind of care that they are expecting.

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Medical travelers have all sorts of expectations for the kind of care that they want to receive. To satisfy these individuals, the service provider has to reach, even exceed, their expectations. It may be anything, from the convenience they get as they travel from the hospital to their temporary residence, to good bedside manner from their doctors.

With changes set to happen in the US healthcare system, many individuals would want to have more control over the type of care that they will get. On this front, they will be glad to know that there are many options for medical treatment overseas that can provide them with many choices for the various factors that affect their overall healthcare experience.

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Satori World Medical is a leading provider of medical travel concierge services designed to fit the needs of every patient. Visit the company’s official website to find out more about what some of the most popular destinations for medical travel have to offer.

Thailand as the leading beauty and wellness destination in Asia

Thailand has earned a reputation as a leading destination for medical travel because of its thriving beauty and wellness industry. Every year, thousands of tourists flock to Thailand for its health, beauty, and spa treatments that are often offered at prices lower than anywhere else.

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Recently, Thailand has been increasing its efforts to further strengthen its image as a premier medical travel destination. It has just launched its ‘Find Your Fabulous’ campaign, which is aimed at attracting women who are looking for ways to rediscover themselves.

The digital campaign is a partnership between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thai Airways International, Asia Web Direct, and more than 30 of the country’s leading providers of health and beauty treatments. Because most of the patients interested in what Thailand offers have been found to do their research online, the campaign’s primary goal is to make important information about the treatments that patients need easily available through effective channels.

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Suraphon Svetasreni, the governor of the TAT, revealed that apart from having a strengthened information drive about Thailand’s offerings as a beauty and wellness destination, the campaign will also offer interested parties special deals that are sponsored by its participants. With the ‘Find Your Fabulous’ campaign in full swing, medical travelers from all over the world can easily find the information they need on the treatments that they want, and they can even expect to find great packages on exclusive health, beauty, and hotel deals with prices that meet their budget.

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Satori World Medical is a leading medical travel company with strong connections to medical institutions and experts in Thailand. Find out more of what Asia’s leading destination for beauty and wellness has to offer on the company’s official website.

DR. KENNETH GERENRAICH JOINS BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR SATORI WORLD MEDICAL

SAN DIEGO – July 18, 2013 – Satori World Medical, the leader in surgical tourism, announces the appointment of physician and entrepreneur, Dr. Kenneth Gerenraich to its board of directors. Dr. Gerenraich will provide strategic input and direction on the development of Satori World Medical and the overall Satori Experience™. 

Dr. Gerenraich founded Woodward Laboratories in 1992, creating at the time one of the only companies providing treatment against infections of the skin and nails.  With a scientific portfolio of 18 patents awarded and 13 patents pending, Woodward Laboratories evolved into a leading international antimicrobial dermatological company serving the OTC pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hospitality, sanitation, medical, and veterinary industries. In 2010, Woodward Laboratories was successfully sold to Pacific World, a $300 million privately held corporation.

A physician and entrepreneur, Dr. Gerenraich earned his Bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and his Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine from the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine, now known as Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science. He is a diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management. While in private practice, Dr. Gerenraich held several leadership positions at Southern California hospitals.

“I am very pleased that Dr. Gerenraich will be adding his considerable business knowledge and leadership at the Board level,” said Steven Lash, president and CEO, Satori World Medical.  “Ken’s extensive expertise will be valued as we continue to grow as the leaders in the medical tourism industry”.

“Satori World Medical is one of the most innovative medical travel companies today,” said, Dr. Kenneth Gerenraich. “I feel privileged to join this company and be on the forefront of helping to control healthcare costs”.

About Satori World Medical:        

Satori World Medical, the leader in surgical tourism, features state-of-the-art hospitals in 7 countries and the US territory of Puerto Rico, which all meet or exceed U.S. quality standards.  All facilities and doctors have undergone a rigorous on-site inspection process led by our Board Certified Chief Medical Officer.  Satori delivers all medical travel related services, while lowering overall medical expenses for both the patient and the plan sponsor.

Satori World Medical offers complete medical and travel services designed to fit your needs. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, large employers, unions, cities and school districts.

For more information on Satori World Medical, call +1 (866) 613-9686 or visit www.satoriwm.com 

The rising appeal of Latin America as a medical travel destination

Traveling abroad for medical purposes continues to be an option that many people in the US are adding to their choices. The cost of healthcare in the country is still high, and many individuals are now considering taking a chance in places where they can spend less for the same medical treatment. 

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Previously, saving on costs was the strongest motivator for patients to travel overseas for treatment, despite the many misconceptions about the quality of medical care abroad. However, the rise in popularity of medical travel invalidates these misconceptions. Among the many choice destinations for medical travel, Latin America continues to attract a significant portion of patients from the US. Many of these are members of the Latino communities in America who are looking for some peace of mind on top of lower costs on their treatment.

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The proximity of Latin America’s popular destinations to North America, the presence of bilingual healthcare officials, and the healthcare providers accredited by the Joint Commission International make the choice easy for many patients. With some research, they can easily find quality facilities and doctors with an approach that they prefer. Currently, Latin American countries are hoping to improve on their medical travel sector the way that Costa Rica did. Many of them are working on improving the image that others have of their country as a medical travel destination by continuing to educate consumers and debunking misconceptions about the quality of health care in their medical facilities.

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Satori World Medical provides American patients with various options to gain access to top healthcare facilities in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica. Read more about these prime destinations for medical travel on SatoriWorldMed.com .

The different indications of hysterectomy

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The uterus is considered to be an important female organ—the vessel of life, the essence of a woman’s true meaning. However, there are times when medicine recommends its removal. This procedure is known as hysterectomy. And although conservative approaches have greatly diminished the number of operations in recent years, it remains to be widely performed.

So why does a woman have to undergo hysterectomy?

It is uncommon to see women who undergo this surgery due to a life-threatening condition; as a matter of fact, most of the time it is done to help ease a discomfort. Menorrhagia, described as an abnormally heavy and prolonged menstrual period, for example, is the most frequently cited indication for hysterectomy. There are times, too, when tumors grow along the uterine walls (uterine fibroid tumors), and surgery is the only feasible way to treat the condition.

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Another common indication for hysterectomy is pelvic pain either caused by endometriosis or adenomyosis. In mild to moderate cases, the pain may still be managed by way of pharmacological interventions. However, in extreme cases the gynecologist may just opt to remove the uterus altogether.

Other indications include uterine prolapse which occurs when the uterus drops into the vagina and in the early stages of uterine cancer when the cancer has not yet metastasized.  

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Get more information on hysterectomy and other related surgeries by logging on to this Facebook page for Satori World Medical.