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www.CHESTERCMS.org Medical Tourism continued from page 31 Despite potential risk factors (Fig. 3), things are not all bad or gloomy. The growth and economic importance of the "industry" have attracted the interest not only of international health professionals, but of other significant "players" including lawyers, investors, economists, et al. Some health insurance companies and large employers have formed alliances with overseas hospitals to control costs and assure quality of services. Several major American medical schools have begun to develop joint initiatives with overseas providers, such as the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center, the Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Center, and the Duke-National University of Singapore. In addition, international healthcare organizations have been developed in order to certify a level of quality for healthcare providers and programs across multiple countries, covering a wide range of programs such as hospitals, primary care centers, medical treatment, and ambulatory care services. The oldest of these, Accreditation Canada, goes back to 1968 when it first accredited the Bermuda Hospital. Since then it has accredited numerous hospitals and health services organizations in ten other countries. Britain has two other Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue Golden Golf Classic Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018 RiverCrest Golf Club and Preserve Phoenixville, PA Score a hole-in-one for great dogs in need by becoming a Golden Golf Classic sponsor! Promote your business or passion for dogs with sponsorship levels that start at $250! Sponsorship levels starting at $1,500 include player registrations! Advertise in our program: $200 quarter page or $50 for single line With over 4,600 DVGRR dogs adopted, you'll be advertising to a loyal, tail-wagging audience while supporting a great mission! Visit www.DVGRR.org for sponsor or player details and email Inza@dvgrr.org with any questions. Lea rn m o re & re gi s ter: w w w.DVGRR.org 32 CHESTER COUNT Y Medicine | SPRING 2018 similar organizations, QHA Trent Accreditation, and GCR. org. The creation of a set of International Patient Service Standards in 2012 subsequently led to the establishment in 2016 of the Global Healthcare Accreditation Program which is based in Florida and now has updated its GHA Standards (for medical travel services) Manual to version 4.0 as of June 2017. In the US the Joint Commission International (JCI), a relative of the US Joint Commission, was founded in 1994 to provide education and consulting services to international clients. Many international hospitals now see obtaining such accreditation as a way to attract more American patients, and some are looking to rank hospitals based on patient-reported metrics. There is even now an International Medical Travel Journal, which holds annual international MT conventions in major cities around the world, provides awards to providers in multiple different service categories, and draws an international audience of legal, economic and healthcare providers, reflecting the industry's increasing global importance. One final consideration: in 2008, the American Medical Association put out a list of Guidelines on medical tourism, which are worth reviewing (see Fig. 4), and with which any physician seeking greater knowledge of this topic should familiarize him or herself. Fig. 4.: AMA's Guiding Principles on Medical Tourism (a) Medical Care outside the US must be voluntary. (b) Financial incentives to travel outside the US for medical care should not limit the diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives which are offered to patients, or restrict treatment or referral options. (c) Patients should be referred for medical care only to institutions which have been accredited by recognized international accrediting bodies (such as the Joint Commission International or the International Society for Quality in Health Care). (d) Before travel, local follow-up care should be coordinated and financing should be arranged to ensure continuity of care when patients return from medical care outside the US. (e) Coverage for travel outside the US for medical care must include the costs of necessary follow-up care upon return to the US. (f ) Patients should be informed of their rights and legal recourse before agreeing to travel outside the US for medical care.