Evidence on global medical travel

Journal article (2015)

Authors

Kai Ruggeri University of Cambridge
Ladislav Záliš Masaryk University
Christopher R. Meurice University of Cambridge
Ian Hilton North Central College
Terry Lisa Ly University of Cologne
Zorana Zupan University of Warwick
S. Hinrichs-Krapels King’s College London
Affiliation
External organisation
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Published Date

2015-11

Language

Spanish

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External organisation

Abstract

The potential benefits of travelling across national borders to obtain medical treatment include improved care, decreased costs and reduced waiting times. However, medical travel involves additional risks, compared to obtaining treatment domestically. We review the publicly-available evidence on medical travel. We suggest that medical travel needs to be understood in terms of its potential risks and benefits so that it can be evaluated against alternatives by patients who are seeking care. We propose three domains -quality standards, informed decision-making, economic and legal protection - in which better evidence could support the development of medical travel policies.