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What Should You Ask Your Medical Facilitator?

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In last week’s blog we discussed the value a Medical Facilitator can bring to you. If you have decided to hire one, you probably have more questions to ask that pertain to you and your safety. Having trust in your Medical Facilitator is one of the most important things required. They are there to assist you in your journey and make sure it is a well thought out plan.  This is to assure the decision you made was the right one for you. Here are 5 questions we feel you should ask to extend more trust in your decision.

  1. Is the facility you will be sending me to an accredited hospital?

    In the U.S., Canada, Australia and Western Europe it is standard practice that hospitals are expected to acquire accreditation in order to operate.  That is not the case for many international facilities. Inspection on the quality of care, infection control, medical and nursing credentials including training, patient rights, medication management, environment of care, education and ethical standards are items measured.This is so the hospital follows minimum standards for your protection that will reduce chances of infection, staffing error or negligence. The most well known accreditation organizations are: Joint Commission International (JCI) *This is probably the one most recognized International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA) Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) The United Kingdom Accreditation Forum (UKAF) Australian Council for Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI) Trent Accreditation Scheme (U.K., Europe, Hong Kong, Philippines and Malta) If a hospital does not have the appropriate world wide recognized accreditation, you might want to keep shopping.

  2. Have you been to the facility you are sending me to?

    Deciding to travel for medical care is stressful in itself. You want assurance the facility is reputable, clean and safe. A good Medical Facilitator will have been to the facility themselves to do an onsite inspection. This due diligence is for your safety. Believe it or not but we have been to facilities that looked great on their websites.  After visiting them, we chose not to send our clients there for various reasons such as cleanliness, surrounding location and lost government funding due to poor quality.

  3. What Is Your Fee?

    When going to a facility within Canada or the U.S., you can be certain that the facilitator will not receive payment from the hospital or facility. That would be unethical and not in your best interest. You want to go somewhere that is going to benefit your needs, not the Medical Facilitators pocket. An industry standard is 10-15% of the cost of your procedure or surgery. Companies such as ours will cap the fee when the cost reaches a certain point.  Cancer treatment can be quite expensive. If the Medical Facilitators fee is low or free be wary.  It will be built in somewhere or they are being paid by the hospital to bring them patients.

  4. What happens if I have a complication?

    There are policies that can protect you from complications called ‘Complications Insurance’. This is different from a standard travel insurance policy. The standard travel policy will NOT cover you should you decide to travel for medical reasons. These policies will cover medical needs that arise while traveling not related to a pre-existing issue.

  5. Can I choose my doctor?

    Yes and No. If you have a preference or already have a doctor in mind, by all means, notify the Medical Facilitator of your wishes.  Most will be happy to accommodate. Many times the doctor will vary depending on which facility you choose, your needs and the doctor’s availability. All of our facilities review the client’s medical records and pair them with the doctor they feel would best suit their needs.

There are most likely more questions you will want to ask a Medical Facilitator because everyone has different needs and concerns. Health Vantis is always happy to answer any question you have. Contact us when you do have questions. That is what we are here for.

Health Vantis

www.healthvantis.ca

877-344-3544

info@healthvantis.com

5 Things That Will Improve By Considering Medical Travel

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5 Things That Will Improve By Considering Medical Travel

We live in an instant gratification world. We have access to just about anything we want at the tip of our fingers. Waiting for certain medical care is not something we have much control over, but do we?  We may not have the ability to snap our fingers and have a surgery date appear on the surgeons schedule but we can utilize our resources to research other options such as medical travel.

The decision to travel for medical reasons is a big  one to make, and there are many reasons one might entertain the though but you have to weigh the pros and cons. In this blog we will explore the ‘pros’ by making the decision to.

  1. Excluded or specialty procedures currently unavailable in Canada

    Canada is a very progressive country with regards to medical treatments and care, however, there are many procedures and treatments unavailable. Cancer is a great example  of one of those because of the uniqueness it presents in every individual. Entertaining a second opinion can always be helpful to explore other options or even to confirm the treatment plan you were given concurs. You will have more certainty in your treatment plan and/or diagnosis. Oncologist.

  2. Addressing your disease or illness sooner thus preventing it from progressing further

    The longer you have an ailment that is being untreated, the higher chance you have to make things worse. For example, a knee replacement. We obviously all utilize our legs to walk and the knees bear all of our weight. They are the main hinge between the ground and the rest of your body that allow you to get around. Waiting too long for your surgery can be counterproductive. Your function going into surgery dictates how you will function afterward. The longer you wait, the more muscle tone you lose which will make your recovery much longer and harder. Something spotted early may only require a minor procedure. Delaying that could cause, in the case of a knee, destruction to the knee joint to where it is so severe that a total knee replacement is now needed.

  3. Pain level management can be kept to a minimum

    Pain is the main indicator that something is wrong. Living with severe pain may produce a chain reaction. You may not be able to develop the coping skills required.  This may cause you to become unproductive, unable to exercise or possibly put you into a depression. Although doctors are getting more cautious with giving opioids out for pain control, they still do. This is considered a risk. Being on them in the short term may be appropriate but being on them long-term will have more serious consequences such as addiction. Also, when you take an opioid it masks the pain. This could result in you to pushing yourself more than you should which can create or complicate your problem further.

  4. Being able to exercise or do the things you love to do again

    Most likely, if you need to have a surgery, you are going to have limitations. Those may prevent you from doing the things you love to do such as playing with your children or grandchildren, participating in a sport or hobbies. This can be especially difficult when it limits you from something you are passionate about such as cycling or running. Many people thrive on being active and when they can’t, the consequences can be many.

  5. Back to work sooner

    Your ailment might be severe enough that you have to go on long or short term disability because you can no longer preform your duties. This can put a financial strain on you. If you have to be off work for 4-6 months while waiting for your surgery or diagnostic test, how much income are you losing? If the income lost due to waiting is greater than the cost to have it done privately, then further consideration might be worthwhile.

Being the healthiest person you can be will only benefit you physically, mentally and emotionally. Weighing all of the pros and cons may give you the insight to make an  informed decision on what it is you need to maintain that healthy lifestyle.

If you would like to explore other options, contact us as that is what we do. We’ve already done the research for you to speed things along that much quicker.

Health Vantis

www.healthvantis.ca

877-344-3544

info@healthvantis.com

What Creates Canadian Wait Lists?

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What Creates Canadian Wait Lists?  We are at the conclusion of our blogs this month for the 2017 wait times.  But what actually creates these wait lists and wait times?

Reasons That Might Suggest Why

There is a plethora of reasons why they occur across the country but here are a few possibilities that might support reasons as to why.

  1.   All physicians will see patients in the manner they see fit.  It can be based on their patient case loads, comparison to their other patients or simply triaged.  As much as we don’t want to believe it, some physicians will help fellow colleagues or friends/family out ahead of their actual patients.
  2. Lack of resources in a given province.  When this happens, the patient may be referred to another province for treatment.  If this happens, you become part of their wait list
  3. Rationing.  By this, we mean that there may be a doctor available to do another surgery and OR time available, however, each province sets the amount of patients seen or surgeries done in a given day.  If they have already met that quota, then they cannot treat any further patients until the next day.  This can create a back log that just keeps compounding on each other.
  4. Lack of available General Practitioner (GP) and Specialists. [ctt template=”3″ link=”Siu77″ via=”yes” ]Per a 2014 CBC Health News article, 4.4MM Canadians do not have a GP.(1) [/ctt]When you don’t have access to a GP or Specialist, people tend to utilize the ER for minor things as opposed to true emergencies.  This then creates long waits in the ER and takes valuable time away from those individuals who truly have an emergency.
  5. Lack of money.  Each province has their own budget of how much they spend on heath care resources.  Many of them have traditionally been fiscally conservative in how the money is spent.
  6. The aging Baby Boomer population.  As the Baby Boomers age, the need for more services are required that come with that aging process.  ‘The number of beds available for them may not be enough or may be blocked for budget reasons.  Community care is also limited.’(1)

Conclusion

Some experts have argued that changes need to be made to model other single payor systems in going to a 2-Tiered system which allows for privatization, using a cost sharing model for certain treatments or having to pay a co-pay for utilizing your GP or visiting the ER.  The Fraser Institute reported wait times the highest they’ve been in the 26 years they have been tracking it. Bacchus Barua(2) from the Frasier Institute has said [ctt template=”3″ link=”MDpxc” via=”yes” ]‘Canada is one of the highest spenders on health care in the developing world, but still has some of the longest wait times for treatment’.[/ctt] Although there are probably many other theories on where the medical wait lists began and most likely a combination of things there is no denying they exit.

We are experts at finding alternate, affordable, options if you are on a wait list.   Contact Health Vantis to see how we can help you find them!  877-344-3544 or info@healthvantis.com

Resources:

  1. CBC News/Health: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/medical-wait-times-up-to-3-times-longer-in-canada-1.2663013
  2. Bacchus Barua: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/hospital-wait-times-costing-national-economy-more-than-1b-375463401.html

Health Vantis

www.healthvantis.ca

877-344-3544

info@healthvantis.com

5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR YOUR HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY

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Research shows that people who are well prepared and fully participate in their care have a smoother and faster recovery after joint hip replacement surgery.  How do you go on with your life after a hip replacement? You will need help moving around and getting some things done.  You will likely not be able to drive for 6 weeks (left hip replacement) and up to 3 months (right hip replacement). There are some things you can do BEFORE going to surgery to ensure a successful recovery AFTER:

  1. Before going to surgery ensure you have good support from your family or friends. They will be the ones to help you move around, bring groceries and take you to your doctor’s appointments. Have a designated contact person that will communicate your progress to the family as you may be in pain and on medication during the first couple of days in the hospital.
  2. Ensure you have all the needed equipment for the recovery prior to going in for surgery – a walker, crutches if you have stairs without handrails in your home, high toilet seat, bed assistance rail, bath transfer bench, leg pillow, reacher/grabber with pincher claws, long handle shoes horn and bath sponge.  Red Cross provides some of this equipment or it can be purchased at your local drug store.
  3. If you can, rent or purchase a cold therapy unit. It will provide an effective and soothing option for post-operative pain and swelling. By managing your pain with cold therapy you will be more encouraged to do your exercises and move around after your surgery. You can bring the cold therapy unit with you to the hospital and ask your nurse to use it when you have woken up from anesthesia.
  4. Arrange for sessions with a physiotherapist who can guide you through your recovery exercises – a must in your after surgery care. You can do the exercises on your own too, but optimally there is a therapist to help you through. Remember that you must keep doing your exercises at home to strengthen your muscles and get your hip moving. Walking is an excellent exercise.
  5. Prepare and freeze some healthy meals for easy warm up after you are back in your home. Make sure you have an adequate supply of canned food and staples.  You should be stocking up on foods that are rich in dietary fiber, calcium, and iron.

Remember that hip joint replacement is a major surgery and requires a great deal of hard work and healing on the part of the patient. Being prepared before helps your successful recovery.

 

 

Health Vantis
info@healthvantis.com
www.healthvantis.ca
877-344-3544

Medical Travel Success – Plan and Ask Questions!

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There are numerous reasons to travel outside one’s local area to receive a medical treatment.  A procedure may not be available where you live, the wait for it is too long, or the price is too high. With the world becoming so well connected and easy to communicate, all one has to do is to look up a reputable hospital and hop on the plane or drive. Sounds simple, but traveling for medical reasons is far more complicated and involved than regular travel. If you have determined that you are going to take your health matters in your hands and take a pro-active approach, this article will give you a couple of points to be aware of.

DO: Communicate and be transparent with your local medical professional – family physician or specialist.

First and foremost, we cannot emphasize the importance of communicating with your family doctor and/or specialist.  It matters tremendously at all stages of your medical journey, but especially before and after. Before the travel, give your doctor an opportunity to voice all of his/her concerns with your plans.  It will help you mitigate the risks associated with receiving medical care abroad. Remember, only your doctor will have the medical facts and necessary expertise to raise such concerns. You can ask for a second (or third) opinion, or do your own research, but it all starts with you and your doctor.

It also ends here. When you come back from your procedure, your doctor will not be surprised and unprepared to learn about your journey and if necessary, provide or advise post op care. In many, if not all surgeries, the recovery time and post op care are so important, that the success of the procedure largely depends on it and therefore, you have to have the medical support you need when you come back home.  Do talk to your family doctor 6-4 weeks or earlier before you go!

DON’T:  Go to a hospital that is not able to provide their HAI (Healthcare associated Infection) rates and prevention mechanisms.

Many internet articles and government health authority bodies warn medical travelers about accreditations and standards of out of the country hospitals and doctors, and rightfully so. However, not only you need to make sure that your hospital and doctor are properly accredited and certified, you need to make sure the hospital has an ongoing prevention plan for  preventing Healthcare associated infections (HAI). Are you aware that there are multi-drug resistant bacteria in hospitals and other health care facilities around the world?

For example there was a rapidly growing Mycobacterium outbreak among medical tourist to the Dominican Republic: 21 cases identified in 6 states, 13 of them or 62% underwent surgery at Clinic A. Significant time and resources were spent for recovery, including therapeutic surgical intervention, hospitalization and 3+months of antibiotic treatment.

Another example is a 2014 Q fever outbreak among US and Canadian travelers to Germany who received live cell therapy. 5 Patients tested seropositive for Coxiella burnetii after receiving injections of processed cells from nonhuman animals and 2 patients stated they were not informed of risk for Q fever before injection.  This procedure is not approved by US FDA.

In January through September 2015 there occurred a hepatitis C outbreak in Singapore. There were 25 cases, 20 were renal cases, and 8 deaths.

Outbreaks among medical tourists are inherently difficult to detect due to patients returning to broad geographical areas, non-notifiable conditions and the fact that communications between countries can impact detection of outbreaks.

While US and Canadian healthcare authorities  are making the effort and the results public and are willing to share progress  at preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAI), other countries’ healthcare systems may differ.  Ask your provider for a discussion of HAI rates and what is being done to prevent them.

DON’T: make your provider selection based on the price only.

While this may be the obvious one – we all are alarmed by a much lower price – figuring out quote price differences may prove to be daunting.  You now have to go through each quote to see why they differ and if the difference is going to affect the quality of your treatment and stay.  Ensure that all quotes are detailed and figure out what different hospitals consider extra to the quote to get a better picture of your final bill. Also, look for hidden costs and always know how the Medical Facilitator gets paid. It should not be hidden in your hospital costs. In addition, be prepared for complications and what the cost may be. It is best that you talk to a medical complication insurance agent about this as this may end up being very costly. In addition, your insurance agent will be able to spot hospitals that had bad cases and will not be able to insure you at that particular facility. That’s an additional risk management step you absolutely must take!

DO: Have a plan B.

Have you thought about the fact that there is a chance that after on site physical examination your doctor may advise a different treatment plan? There are cases of “change of treatment plans”. For example, a hip replacement client was given a less invasive, less costly alternative that would keep her quality of life for a few years before she has to have surgery. While it doesn’t mean you cannot have your surgery, it does mean that there may be more health related decision making on location and you have to be open and ready to discuss those. To prepare yourself, don’t be afraid to ask questions before you go.  Work with your doctor on the plan B before you leave.  The more planning you do the less stressful your medical journey will be.

If you have any questions or concerns or would like to discuss any of the medical travel issues further, please reach out to us – we are here to listen and give you the best answer today! Health Vantis specializes in making your medical travel more enjoyable by giving you our most personal support and care along the way – start to finish!