Medical Travel and Comfort, 4 Tips To Create Yours !

Comfort for medical travel is one of the small but quite important things. Traveling for medical reasons can be filled with stress and anxiety. This puts you in a place where you do not want to be for your recovery after the procedure. We have talked about the impact of stress on the recovery in one of our blogs and there are ways to manage it. Traveling to get a surgery is not the same as traveling for pleasure.  How do you adjust and make it easier on yourself? Below are the points we make to our clients to help them make the best out of their medical journey.

Establish trust in your doctor and facility

Crucial to your overall sanity, the trust you build during the preparation and research stage of your medical journey can help alleviate a large portion of your nervousness and anxiety.  If you can talk to your doctor, voice your concerns, have many questions answered before you go, you are doing the right thing. We advise that you chose a doctor that feels like a friend, less like an outsider.

To do that, establish clear and available lines of communication with the facility. Ask them about the best way to get to know your doctor. We all know doctors are a busy bunch, but it is reasonable to ask for a video session or a phone call. Prior to the conversation do your homework so that your time is spent on you asking relevant and important questions: Read up on the doctors reviews (although do remember it is an open wide web, and sometimes things get out of control and may not necessarily reflect the reality), verify their Board Certification, write down the questions you have and don’t forget to ask about the number of surgeries performed, success, complications and infection rates for your particular procedure.

As for the facility, ensure they are located in a safe place of town; ask them about accommodations nearby and the transportation to the hospital as well as their infection and re-admission rates. If this is a surgical facility ask the question of what hospital they use in case of emergencies.

Get complications insurance

Complications happen to the best of the hospitals and doctors. Protect yourself from incurring the cost of treating a complication with insurance. Please note it is NOT the same as the regular travel insurance.   That only protects you from new and emergency conditions, and doesn’t cover anything pre-existing.

Bring some comforting things from your home with you

If you have a favorite candle, book, or anything else that you find comforting – a pillow, a blanket, a card from your kids or grandkids take it with you and set it up in your hotel room where you will be recovering. Another great stress reliever is music. Many music streaming services are available nowadays and you can create a favorite relaxing mix.

Stay Connected

Ensure that you have access to your family and friends via phone, video or email.  Even if you have a companion with you, a conversation with a friend before or after the surgery may help you talk through your anxiety.  It can also provide comfort as another opinion or insight.

If you have any questions or would like to tell us how you created comfort during your medical travel experience, please comment below or get in touch by email info@healthvantis.com or toll-free 877 344 3544.