Shifting consumer attitudes on medical travel

Steven Lash, president and CEO of Satori World Medical, previously talked about his expectations of more growth in the medical travel industry. Given that many people now travel for health and wellness reasons, the medical and tourism industries of many countries have been stepping up to improve on what they can offer and attract more to their facilities. 

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Medical travel is currently booming, and this increased popularity among consumers is seen as a factor that will fuel changes in the industry in the coming years.

Previously, the main motivator for patients travelling overseas for medical treatment was the cost. The high cost of local health care is, in many cases, discouraging for many people in need of surgery, treatment, and medication. There was a need for an alternative avenue for treatment–one that could be taken without making a significant dent in a person’s savings or increasing one’s debts.

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This consumer ‘need’ was described as one of the greatest contributors to the growth of the medical travel industry. Consumers chose the alternative because they just couldn’t afford the local option due to the high costs.

Things are expected to change. Local health centers are expected to implement some changes that could slow the outflow of patients. As a result, local and overseas options will be on equal footing, and consumers will weigh their options based on appeal. The next step for growth in the travel industry is expected to be fueled by consumers that choose to have their treatment done overseas on a ‘want’ basis instead of a ‘need.’

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Find more information on the growth of the medical travel industry by visiting SatoriWorldMedical.com.

Predictors of tremendous growth in the medical travel industry

With the number of people seeking medical treatments abroad seen to be on the rise in the past few years, the medical travel industry has been notably booming. Many countries have, in fact, been adjusting their tourism efforts and fine-tuning their strategies to give greater focus to their health and wellness offerings.

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While there is currently a lot of development in the various related industries, Steven Lash, president and CEO of Satori World Medical, has revealed in an interview on NBC’s Money Matters that there is still much growth that can be expected for medical travel.

Given the boom in medical travel, people have now become more informed about their alternative options for treatment. Previously, consumers were ill at ease with considering medical travel given the prevalent belief that health care delivery and facilities outside of the US were inferior. Perceptions have long since changed and many people have seen that facilities in other countries were actually on par with, if not better than, what is available locally.

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This has led to an increase in people who understand that they have another option for medical care. The fact that people have an added option made available to them comes as a relief, given that the costs of local healthcare remain high while the whole nation struggles with economic recovery.

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Certainly, medical travel is not for everyone. There are people who cannot travel and there are people who still want their medical treatment to be done locally. But for the people who can travel and for those who find merit in seeking alternative treatments, medical travel remains a viable option to take.

Find more information on options for treatment and surgery outside the US on SatoriWorldMedical.com.

Saying bye-bye to GERD, the laparoscopic way

Patients afflicted with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) usually find themselves in a state of discomfort. In GERD, gastric acids usually reflux or regurgitate from the gastric chambers as a result of cardiac sphincter incompetence, resulting to a harsh, burning sensation felt in the epigastric area. Sometimes, the sensation can become so distressing that patients are willing to resort to surgical interventions just so they can be relieved of the excruciating pain.

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And for most of them, laparoscopic surgery is the way to go.

Laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery (also known as laparoscopic nissen fundoplication) is a procedure that involves “reinforcing the ‘valve’ between the esophagus and the stomach by wrapping the upper portion of the stomach around the lowest portion of the esophagus.” The procedure, often compared to “a bun wrapping around a hotdog,” enhances the competence of cardiac sphincter and ensures that stomach acids will not be able to escape its way into the esophagus.

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The surgeon performs the entire operation inside the already inflated abdomen. Surgeons enter the abdomen using cannulas which are then inserted via 0.25 to 0.5-inch incisions. The cannula contains a tiny video camera at its tip, thus giving the surgeon a great view of the site which will be operated on.

While this procedure has become standard in the surgical treatment of GERD, not everyone is eligible to go through the procedure. Some factors, including obesity, history of abdominal surgery causing dense scar tissue, and bleeding problems, may have surgeons considering the ‘open’ procedure instead.

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GERD patients do not need to endure the excruciating pains of heartburn. This website provides information on how they can undergo laparoscopic nissen fundoplication under the Satori World Medical Global Health Network.

Going on medical travel? Know what to leave behind

When traveling abroad, many people prefer to carry along most of their stuff just so they can be prepared for any untoward incident which might happen during the trip. While this might prove convenient to some, it might not be a shrewd idea in all circumstances. Some things are much better off when left behind in the comforts of their own homes, or better yet, in the safekeeping of their friends and families.

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Satori World Medical, a medical travel company headed by Steven Lash, shares the following list of “things to leave behind while traveling:”

1. Important cards. Some cards, such as the Social Security card, are important yet totally unnecessary during travel. Removing them from the wallet lessens the things that need to be replaced in case the wallet goes missing.

2. Copies of important documents. One of the most important documents to leave a copy of back at home is the passport. In case the passport is stolen or lost, the copy may be used by friends or family members to remedy the situation back at home. Travelers are also encouraged to leave copies of their credit cards to be used as reference in case of loss or theft.

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3. Travel itinerary. By leaving a travel itinerary at home, travelers make it easier for friends and relatives to contact them during an emergency.

4. Jewelry and expensive electronics. Apart from being additional weight to the luggage, these items can also make travelers more susceptible to robbery. And because these might not be of practical use to travelers, bringing them over is a risk totally NOT worth taking.

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Are you interested in the idea of going abroad for a medical procedure? This Steven Lash blog provides the lowdown on medical travel.

Taking charge of one's health: The ever growing appeal of medical travel

More people are finding out the large difference in the costs of surgical procedures offered by healthcare institutions within and outside the US. As the costs of medical care have grown significantly over the past few years, many individuals who need operations and therapy for their condition have thought out of the box and have gone with treatment overseas.

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Medical travel has become increasingly popular with people who are either dissatisfied with the healthcare delivery in the country or simply cannot afford to get the treatment for their condition because of the high costs.

However, many people have expressed their doubts on going to other countries for their treatment.

Steven Lash, president and CEO of Satori World Medical, highlights the importance of the spread of information about medical travel options amid the rising costs of health care so that patients do not choose to forgo treatment because of the perceived lack of affordable alternatives.

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Healthcare facilities in other countries tend to be judged as inferior to the ones in the US for various reasons. Among the prevalent reasons for this fallacy are the lower costs, which tend to remind many consumers that they pay for what they get.

However, with enough research and a little openness, more people will be able to see that medical travel continues to increase in popularity for a good reason. Countless patients have already traveled thousands of miles to receive treatment for their condition for a fraction of the cost and they couldn’t be happier with the results.

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SatoriWorldMedical.com provides more information on options for treatment and surgery outside the US.

Reclaiming wellness through medical travel

With the growing costs of healthcare, some people may find necessary medical procedures to be too expensive and out of reach.

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Examples of people falling under this cluster are members of the boomer generation. The country’s current healthcare situation seems to place aging individuals at a disadvantage. They’re at a stage in their lives that calls for medical intervention, yet financial aid to help cover the costs can be scarce and difficult to obtain.

This dilemma has been one of the biggest contributors to the rise of the number of boomers who have chosen to turn to medical travel for their treatment. Instead of living with painful and debilitating conditions, many have chosen to pay out of their own pockets because medical travel opens up treatment options that they can afford with some of their savings.

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In a recent interview on NBC’s news program Money Matters, Steven Lash, president & CEO of Satori World Medical, revealed that surgical procedures offered in many hospitals outside the US were, on average, had lower costs by as much as 40-80 percent when compared to the same procedures offered in US hospitals.

Medical travel continues to open doors for wellness for people who previously believed it would remain out of their reach. And, with many hospitals abroad striving to meet the stringent standards of the Joint Commission International, more people can believe that they’ll receive better quality care even if they pay for a lower cost to get it.

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This website shares more news and information on medical travel.

The Bangkok phenomenon: Gearing for a medical travel boom

In 2010, more than 89 percent of medical tourists traveled to Thailand, India, or Singapore to undergo surgical procedures which would otherwise cost at least 80 percent more in the US. Among these destinations, Bangkok and Singapore lead the pack, garnering a large chunk of the world market’s share of medical travelers.

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While Bangkok and Singapore both boast of world-class medical centers that are duly recognized by international accrediting bodies, Bangkok maintained a measly lead over Singapore due to several identified factors. Of note are the significantly lower costs of hotel rooms in the Thai capital compared to the high-end expenses levied by Singapore’s healthcare and tourism markets.

This resultant cost savings is bolstered by Thailand’s stellar reputation for graceful and attentive service. The winning combination of cost-effectiveness and peerless service has pushed Thailand on the vanguards of medical travel, making it the top medical travel destination not only in Asia, but also in the whole world.

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“The hospitals in Bangkok are some of the highest quality in the world, meeting or exceeding US standards,” Satori World Medical CEO Steven Lash states. “All of the patients we have sent to these hospitals have given us excellent feedback on their procedures and their experiences at the facilities.”

Taking into account all of these considerations, Bangkok, as a medical travel destination, is set to shine even brighter than before.

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Satori World Medical, America’s premier medical travel company, boasts of a global healthcare network that includes some of the most reputable medical centers found in Bangkok. Visit SatoriWorldMedical.com for Satori’s complete list of affiliated institutions.

Asia: The emerging medical travel tiger

A few decades ago, people from all over the world flew halfway around the globe just to experience the famed wonders of modern medicine. Procedures that necessitated complicated algorithms, cutting-edge technology, and specialized surgeons had to be done in western countries, just because they had the monopoly of all these things.

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That time, however, is now completely behind humankind. Tables have turned and people from western countries are now traveling to Asia to seek medical attention. Many patients are now considering some Asian countries as the best medical travel destinations in the world, which and are gaining ground against their western counterparts.

India is a staple case in point. Through the years, it has become a favorite destination for medical travelers and has been frequented by those who need to undergo cardiologic and orthopedic surgery. The country’s health ministry works hard to ensure that its hospitals maintain high benchmarks and regulates the issuance of certificates to the hospitals that cater to medical travelers. In addition to the quality of medical care in the country, procedures in India cost as less as 80 percent compared to those done in western countries, making it the more cost effective solution to ever-growing healthcare costs.

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Other Asian countries, such as Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and South Korea, are slowly but surely catching up in the medical travel race with the emergence of high quality medical centers that rival even the most equipped hospitals in the US. The Asian healthcare market is on the rise, and the medical travel industry is seen to greatly benefit from this unprecedented upsurge.

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Asia is fast becoming the main destination for medical travelers from around the globe. Satori World Medical, a medical travel company founded Steven Lash, aims to bring patients to these destinations for a world-class healthcare experience at a fraction of domestic costs. www.satoriworldmedical.com has more details on how you can start your medical travel journey today.