8 essential points to succeed in medical tourism practice

Not everyone can succeed in the medical tourism practice and become a much sought after medical tourism provider for patients. It would take years of work, dedication, and patience to reach this level. Additionally, it would take the below mentioned guidelines which need to remain as the focus for any medical tourism provider aiming to reach the top in the field.

8 essential points to succeed in medical tourism practice:

1. Patient Centered Approach

Remember, the patient always comes first. Hence, all your concierge efforts must be patient centered right from the time the patient registers for a treatment at a medical facility to the time he/she leaves the country after recovering from the treatment.

You need to ensure that the trip is smooth and hassle free for your patient. That would mean attending to even the smallest detail of his/her trip with utmost care and professionalism. This would include accessing the patient’s medical records, coordinating stay and travel arrangements, assisting with financial clearances, arranging interpreters to help with communication, setting appointments for consultations, tests and treatments, arranging the post treatment recovery in a quiet relaxing place, etc. You would also need to ensure that the patient’s religious and cultural issues are in no way disturbed during the trip. In short, you would need to be with the patient 24/7.

2. High Quality Health Care

In addition to being able to offer the medical tourist access to a wide variety of medical treatments and facilities, you would need to ensure that they get the best possible care during the treatment and afterwards. Your reputation for quality care in the area should be acknowledged by renowned healthcare systems and publications in order for you to succeed in the field.

3. Strong Physician Relationships

You need to set up a strong working bond between physicians and the rest of the medical personnel at the medical facility in order to ensure seamless and hassle free operations. A strong working relationship would mean even the smallest detail like arranging dietary specifications for the patient or considering religious observances while scheduling appointments without any hassles.

4. International Affiliations

You would need to establish long-standing relationships with several medical institutions as well as organizations from across the globe. This would enable medical agencies in these countries to recommend you to their clients. Starting affiliation programs for patient referrals and educational exchanges would also help you gain more recognition in other countries.

5. Strong Local Relationships

You would need to have a very strong relationship with local organizations and services, including hotels, restaurants, local transportation systems, embassies, and consulates in order to ensure that a medical tourist gets the best possible service upon arrival. It would also improve your reputation among local as well as international organizations and clients.

6. Strong Physician Relationships

You need to set up a strong working bond between physicians and the rest of the medical personnel at the medical facility in order to ensure seamless and hassle free operations. A strong working relationship would mean even the smallest detail like arranging dietary specifications for the patient or considering religious observances while scheduling appointments without any hassles.

7. Always look for innovation:

You are doing all the hard work for the utmost satisfaction of patients. But this is not all. You are not alone in the market. Partners are competitive. In order to shine above the rest, always look for innovation in your services. Consider awarding loyalty points and launching loyalty programs to strengthen your customer base. Always maintain a competitive package in terms of cost and quality.

8. Create sustainable channel partners:

To fulfill your long term vision, you need to identify channel partners to get a steady flow of referrals. Build a strong networking system not only with reputed physicians and healthcare institutes but also with the corporate sector, insurance companies and academic medical centers.

Summary

Succeeding in the medical tourism industry would require plenty of hard work and dedication. So make sure you follow these guidelines religiously in order to enjoy a successful medical tourism practice.