Medical Tourism in Developing Countries

60 ● Medical Tourism in Developing CountriesAlso, medical tourists compare success rates in different specialties athome and abroad. They take note of the fact that the Escorts HeartInstitute and Research Center in Delhi and Faridabad performs some15,000 heart operations every year and the death rate among patients duringsurgery is less than half that of most major U.S. hospitals. 83In some cases, specialization is measured by the speed with which aprocedure can be performed rather than the procedure itself. There is anecdotalevidence of cities specializing in medical care based on the 30-hourlayovers that airline crews have. 84ReputationPatients worry about problems that may arise when they travel abroadfor medical care. What if the wrong leg is amputated or the plastic surgerygoes awry? What if the patient gets an infection or dies? Clearly, patientswill be drawn to those countries that have the best reputations for the mostsuccessful medical outcomes. One or two high profile cases of medical malpracticecan close down a hospital and nip medical tourism in the bud.An example from China illustrates this point. Chaoyang Hospital inBeijing uses a unique procedure that involves implanting fetal cells intothe spine to promote nerve-cell regeneration. 85 Some 600 patients havebeen treated since 2001 (at a price of $20,000 for foreign patients and$3,700 for Chinese). However, in 2006 a group of North American scientistsrefuted the technique, claiming it has side effects and no provenbenefits. Allegations of scientific misconduct are rampant as the Chineseaim to eliminate negative publicity. The implications for science andmedicine are great, as are the implications for profits and medicaltourism.Quasi-Perfect Information: The Dissemination of MT InformationIn the twenty-first century, Western patients are increasingly taking theirillnesses into their own hands. They do so because they can, since globalizationhas made information readily accessible as never before. They also doso because their medical systems are under stress as demand for physiciantime exceeds supply. As a result, patients are researching their illnesses andsuggesting treatment options to the doctors in a bizarre form of reversedoctoring. Such active participation by patients has been simultaneouslycalled a doctor’s best dream and worst nightmare.Given this proclivity to be proactive in medical care, potential patientsseek out information about locations, procedures, and specialties. How dothey find it?