Our Group CEO is attending this year’s World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress® which presents industry stakeholders and key leaders with an exclusive opportunity for one-on-one networking with the industry’s largest buyers in a business-development-inspired event. Infused with the most current case studies and buyer-focused educational summits and sessions, the 2019 World Medical Tourism Congress® seeks to transform the business of healthcare and medical tourism. Conference dates: October 15-17, 2019.

To learn more on the conference please visit https://www.medicaltourismcongress.com/

The post 12th World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress 2019 (WMTC2019) appeared first on Pathway International.

Health or Medical travel in Kenya has become a common form of vacationing, and covers a broad spectrum of services.

Medical travel combines leisure and relaxation with wellness and healthcare. Broadly speaking, medical tourists are people who leave their homes to seek quality treatment, care and rest abroad where it is cheaper but superb. Although staying in a hospital may not be many people’s idea of a vacation, hospitals have become healthcare hubs for international visitors.

Many middle income economies have prioritised quality in provision of healthcare not only because they want their citizens to get the best healthcare but also to attract revenue to their countries. They export healthcare services in the form of medical travel- which involves people traveling to another country for medical treatment at lower cost or to enjoy a vacation along with their treatment.

• East and Central Africa:

In East and Central Africa, Kenya has assumed a leadership role in offering quality medical care. In cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, endoscopic, general and spinal surgery, obstetrics and gynecology.

In recent years, Kenya’s largest medical referral facility, Kenyatta National Hospital and private institutions such as Pathway International, Apollo Information Center, Nairobi and Aga Khan Hospitals, have served high profile patients from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), among others.

Karen, Nairobi, Aga Khan, MP Shah and Mater hospitals are also renowned for their sophisticated medical equipment. Qualified personnel who undertake delicate operations such as heart and brain surgery, and kidney transplants are on hand as well.

The refurbishment of Kenyatta national Hospital and provision modern equipment has also boosted Kenya’s attraction for medical tourists. With healthcare costs rising in the US and Europe, and disposable incomes shrinking in the wake of the global recession, more people are looking to overseas destinations for treatment — a situation that provides Kenya with an opportunity to grow the industry even further.

The private sector’s response to this unique form of travel can be gauged by the efforts of hospitals to invest heavily in diagnostic and treatment facilities, equipment, and professionals. The 320-bed ward Nairobi Hospital has been expanded and a Doctor’s Plaza with 70 suites for medical consultants built. It has also invested Sh.23 million ($287,500) in a modern oxygen plant and now produces and supplies its own oxygen.

The hospital is also ISO-certified In Quality Management Services(9001:2000), Food Safety Management System. (22000:2005), Effective Environment Management (140001:2004) and has certification for the Accreditation of the Laboratory (15189:2003).

A medical travel report by audit, tax and financial advisory company Deloitte indicates that patients are willing to travel long distances to get medical care, ‘whether the destination is an exotic resort halfway around the world or a health care facility several hours away in a neighbouring state’

Even when airfare, hotels, travel insurance, car rentals and dining are factored in, medical vacations in Kenya are more affordable than domestic health care in some patients’ home countries. Generally, the cost of medical attention is significantly lower, sometimes by as much as half in the US, Asia or Europe. This leaves tourists with some money to tour Kenya as they recuperate.

The chief drivers of medical travel are price, quality and service. Medical experts in Kenya see the country as a high-potential destination for medical tourists because local hospitals have the facilities and expertise. Attracting more medical tourists is a good avenue for diversification.

The Ministry of Tourism  is partnering with the private sector to diversify products and services. This ensures that treatment and equipment meet international standards. Herbal medicine is widely practiced in Kenya and used in tandem with modern medicine or when modern medical methods fail. The Kenya Government supports herbal practice and has registered and licensed herbalists to practice in public and private hospitals.

Questions? Call +254 718 994 368 / 733 994 368 or E-mail: wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

Pathway International: your source for Global Healthcare Solutions.

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Health care costs in the United States are in the trillions, and finding solutions to cut costs are becoming critical for medical care sustainability. During a conversation with health leaders about health care cost-cutting, experts made a simple argument: listen to patients.

During the discussion, which took place Tuesday at Fortune magazine’s Brainstorm Health conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Jared Watkin, senior vice president of Diabetes Care at Abbott, spoke to assembled industry leaders about how the company re-developed one of its continuous glucose monitors (CGM) called the FreeStyle Libre—a device that reads blood sugar levels automatically throughout the day—in order to better meet users needs and save costs.

If they didn’t listen to patients, Watkin said, “CGMs were going to continue to be a niche product in diabetes management.”

An early iteration of the FreeStyle Libre device ended up being too costly to manufacture, Watkin said, and was too complicated and pricey for the people using the device. The company realized it wasn’t meeting the needs of its customers and made changes. The team created a less bulky device that was more affordable—and it resonated well with the diabetes community.

Katherine Steinberg, vice president for the Center for Healthcare Transformation at Avalere Health, discussed how at a prior job at UCLA, patients were brought in to talk to doctors and innovators at the hospital about what needs they had that weren’t being met. They learned during one session that people who undergo hip and knee replacements often feel alone and scared after surgery, and that there are opportunities for hospitals to step in and address those concerns—like what happens if they fall after surgery—in order to put patients at ease as well as prevent incidents that could cause a person to need to return to the hospital for more care.

Similarly, Dr. Toby Cosgrove, the former president and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, talked about how the hospital engaged both its doctors and patients to cut costs across the medical system. Doctors were educated on the costs of the therapies they prescribe and instruments they use in order to help them make financially prudent decisions, and the patient community was asked to share any cost-cutting suggestions they had. The hospital received more than 1,000 tips from the public, he said. Cleveland Clinic also started group doctors visits. In this program, instead of meeting one-on-one with a doctor, patients with diabetes might meet with 12 other patients and a physician to talk about issues with their care.

It makes care more efficient for doctors and patients enjoy it, Cosgrove said: “[It] enhances the experience for the patient because it’s like group therapy.”

Any questions? Give us a call at: +254 718 994 368 / 733 994 368 or E-mail us at: wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

Pathway International; your source for Global Healthcare Solutions

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Recent studies have found that more than 1 in 5 patients referred for a second opinion—for many different conditions—may have been incorrectly diagnosed by their health care providers.

Why, especially, would it be beneficial to get a second opinion if your doctor has recommended you need a certain treatment? Here is why:

1. To make sure you have the right diagnosis. It is really worthwhile to ensure your diagnosis is correct.
2. To get another potential chance if you were turned down. Healthcare centers throughout the world  do things differently than one another, making it wise to check with another center for a second opinion if one center tells you “no.”
3. To be at a center of expertise for your specific condition. Seeking an evaluation at another Healthcare center for your particular case, especially if it is complicated, may make treatment a possibility. The Healthcare centers tend to have their “specialty areas,” or conditions they excel at treating. To make an informed decision about what center to see for your condition, visit our office or contact us to provide information on outcomes at various healthcare centers worldwide.

Therefore, if resources allow for a second evaluation and listing, it might be worth considering.

What has been your experience with getting a second opinion? If you have received a second opinion, what advice would you offer for broaching the subject with your provider?

Questions? Call +254 718 994 368 / 733 994 368 or E-mail: wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

Pathway International: your source for Global Healthcare Solutions.

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