The medical tourism market is predicted to increase by 35.36 billion US dollars by 2027. Anton Volvak, the founder of the AiroMedical project for treatment abroad, shares his thoughts on the medical tourism market’s current state and potential growth opportunities.
About the company
AiroMedical is an international online portal for booking medical and wellness programs. Thanks to the technical innovation underlying the platform concept, the medical tourism segment has been raised to an entirely new level of information technology.
The website offers diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation programs from top healthcare countries like Germany, Spain, Poland, and Austria. You can easily compare and choose different offers on the website and book the program.
“During the existence of our platform, – Anton shared – a lot of statistics and data accumulated in various areas. For example, there are more than 476 clinics from 16 countries in the AiroMedical database, and we met the top management of most of them personally.
Therefore, we clearly understand what we offer when sending patients for treatment. Moreover, our direct contacts with clinics and doctors enable us to respond to patients’ requests online.”
The scale of the phenomenon
“Drawing from our experience and the information we receive from hospitals abroad, – Anton says – we can say that about 14 million people go abroad for treatment yearly”.
The concept of medical tourism is associated with the motivation to access technologies that are not available on the local market or services at more favorable prices.
For the patient, the need for treatment abroad is connected, first of all, with distrust of home medicine and only then with the desire to access technologies, competencies, and decent service, which is essential in treatment.
A Harris Poll survey from February 2023 revealed that, commissioned by the American Academy of Physicians, over 70% of Americans say that the national health care system does not meet their needs.
Half believe that it should be more focused on making a profit.
Only 27% of Americans reported that the healthcare system meets all their needs. They listed what exactly does not suit them in medical care: a long wait, high cost, and insufficient attention to prevention and rehabilitation.
About the treatment cost
When applying for services to AiroMedical, the patient pays for treatment directly to the clinic and receives a range of services – support at all stages of his trip for treatment. The receipt for the same services may differ significantly depending on the country.
It should be understood that in medicine, each case is individual. Therefore there often need to be ready-made solutions with fixed prices.
“But, having accumulated statistics on patients with a similar picture and diagnosis, we can always inform the client about the possible cost of medical services in certain countries, – says Anton.
For example, installing one dental implant in the UK will cost 1.500 pounds. While in the “dental capital of Europe,” – Poland, such a procedure will cost about 600 euros.” – Anton continues.
In selecting the right option for clinics and doctors, there is an additional cost item related to organizational issues – medical management. That is a large complex of preparatory work including:
- Processing of submitted medical documents and the formation of a dossier.
- Translations of these documents into various languages.
- Forwarding of medical documents.
- Selection of clinics and specialists per the patient’s medical indications and wishes.
- Receiving from the clinic and handing over to the patient an individual program of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, surgery, etc., medical services.
- Coordination and booking of the appointment date and time with the clinic’s doctor.
- Receiving an official invitation for the client from the clinic.
To date, AiroMedical has developed several medical service packages, each including a specific set of options.
Work with clinics
To work with the hospital, it must understand why it needs to attract patients abroad.
Foreign patients have different “pains,” motivations for arrival, and questions. And the medical organization, in turn, must offer something that a person cannot get at home (technology, price, service, guarantees, experience, or all at once).
Any medical organization should know the range of measures to attract and work with foreigners: marketing, service, understanding the stages of interaction with the client, meeting deadlines, and understanding their competitive differences.
About algorithms of work and selection of clinics
Anton says:
If we talk about what diseases patients most often come to us with, then among such appeals, it is especially worth noting oncology, general surgery, diagnostics, plastic surgery, dentistry, and endoprosthetic.
Recently, we were approached by a patient with prostate cancer at the fourth stage, when the metastases had already gone to the lungs and bones. The patient did not want surgery when it still made sense to do it.
Then he refused chemotherapy: he didn’t want radiation, – Anton recalls. – So, we started looking for alternative methods. As a result, a course of therapy with Lutetium-177 was completed. In Germany, immunotherapy with cell technics was added at the second treatment stage.
We can work from scratch: sometimes, patients who need help know which doctor to run to.
We develop several options based on the patient’s budget. The choice is always his. Sometimes patients already know which doctor and clinic they want to visit; then, we work on a specific request. Of course, in this case, we also offer alternatives.
Our approach differs from the commonly used phrase “Nothing personal, only business.” We take our business personally because we work with people who rely on us for sincere help in addressing their problems. Ignoring their needs is not an option for us.
The essential thing in the work is the Patient.
We aim to help him find the right place to undergo treatment and get to the best doctors. Then, if the patient is pleased with the treatment’s outcome, we have coped with the task. And, of course, we expect he will recommend us to his family, friends, and acquaintances.
References:
Medical Tourism Market Growth by Type, Service Type, and Geography – Forecast and Analysis 2023-2027. Technavio.
Volvak N. Treatment in Germany (advantages and benefits). AiroMedical. Updated December 05, 2022.
Volvak N. Treatment in Turkey (advantages and benefits). AjroMedical. Updated December 05, 2022.