How to Find a Reputable Doctor or Clinic Outside Canada

Individuals may choose to travel outside Canada for their medical needs for many reasons. Over time, overseas medical treatment serves multiple purposes for individuals. It is a form of health or medical tourism for these individuals and a source of revenue for these countries. Some countries work to optimize their health sector to cater for tourists. Medical travel agencies or meditour agencies exist to serve and provide them with this service. Choosing the best medical travel agency will go a long way in making the individual’s medical travel very smooth and hitch-free. When beginning a search on how to find a reputable doctor or clinic outside Canada, contacting a trustworthy medical travel agency is your best bet.

How to choose the best medical travel agency

There are a lot of medical travel agencies and facilitators that exist in the world today. This is due to the rising need for affordable medical services which still have modern qualities, which may not be available in the home country of the individual. These medical tourism companies allow people to get medical treatment very conveniently while also making it very affordable. 

However, it is essential to choose the best and most reputable agency. This is because not all agencies and facilitators are honest with their services, the pricing, or the terms and conditions of their service. It can pose dangers for the clients as they could be in trouble or lost when they get to that foreign country. This is why individuals need to know what to look out for when choosing the travel agency that they will patronize for their overseas medical treatment.

What factors to consider in the choice of a medical agency?

Some of the crucial things to consider when choosing a medical travel agency include:

Certification by reputable medical organizations 

This is a very important factor to consider in choosing an agency. These certifications are crucial as they show that the agency meets all the necessary criteria for providing agency services to clients. The Medical Tourism Association is an internationally accredited non-profit organization that was established to properly vet these medical travel agencies. Its main aim is that the clients of these agencies receive the best healthcare service from the most qualified and professional healthcare teams in foreign countries.

Travel and vacation assistance 

A good medical travel agency will be able to provide a complete health tourism package for their clients. This should include travel, transportation and accommodation plans. In some cases, they may even provide a translator for the client so that they can overcome the language barrier in the foreign country of their choice. This assistance will ensure that the medical travel will be as smooth and hassle-free as possible for the client.

Medical knowledge of the agency management team 

This is very important to consider, as this ensures that the agency will have a good working relationship with the medical team of the hospitals that they work with. The background may also help them in making better choices for the clients as regards where to get the appropriate medical care they need.

Cost of the services offered 

The client should be made aware of the cost of the service they want in the beginning stages of consultation. This should include the treatment, the travel, the transportation costs, as well as the accommodation costs. Many agencies usually have a payment plan tailored to the client’s particular needs and wants. However, it is still important for the client to be made aware of all the options that exist for them.

The medical facilities in the destination country 

The client should be active in the decisions about the facility that may be recommended for their treatment. They should ensure that the hospital is an accredited facility with excellent reviews. 

They should also make contact with the hospital and if possible, get in touch with the doctor that may handle the treatment. This will enable them to get more information about the treatment and the staff. They may also be made aware of the treatment plan and procedures, how many visits before and after the treatment, and the likely scenario in the case of a complication. They should also find out the post-treatment care plan that is offered by the facility. If they are satisfied with what they find out, they can then continue with the plans of the agency.

Plan the visit 

The client should plan their overseas medical treatment along with the agency. This means that they should be active in making decisions about the flights, the facility, and if possible, even the surgeon or doctor. They should also ensure that the documentation needed for the trip is current and no document is missing. They should also ensure that they have someone who will take charge and responsibility in the case of anything going wrong on the trip.

Follow the treatment plan and the aftercare 

The client should ensure that they follow the instructions of their doctors to the letter. They should also stick to the proposed aftercare plan. This may include patience after the procedure and not rushing to travel back to their country, until their doctor is satisfied with their progress. This will ensure that the post-treatment recovery goes on without a hitch and that the client can still return to the facility in case any complication arises.

Ensure that the plan to have the treatment abroad is reasonable 

The client must ensure that the treatment is more viable to be done abroad than in their home country. This is done by consulting the local healthcare industries or their primary healthcare professionals. They should find out if the treatment they need is available in their home country and if they are more economical. They should also compare the sophistication of treatment and equipment, the type of treatment plan and the financial involvement needed in both scenarios. This will help in deciding if travelling for the treatment is appropriate.