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A number of organizations within the U.S. have developed protocols to assist patients who seek to access medical care abroad. However, thus far the medical tourism industry as a whole has remained mostly unstructured,with no meaningful legislation to govern the practices of participating organizations. There has been much debate on how to regulate medical tourism but little action. Recently, the American Medical Association (AMA) established a set of nine guidelines that should be followed by employers, insurance companies and other entities that facilitate or incentivize medical care outside of the U.S. Many are hopeful that these guidelines will provide direction for the industry as it continues to grow and develop.
Type 2 diabetes affects millions of adults each year and, even with advances in healthcare, many more cases are diagnosed each and every day. For many diabetics, the concerns about traveling can often deter the travel plans out of concern for an inability to manage symptoms effectively. If you are diabetic, and you are planning a trip internationally, it is important to be prepared so as to effectively manage your metabolic complications.
Bill Davenhall from ESRI, a company providing localized geographic information, spoke at TEDMED promoting the idea of including one's living history into personal health records. Davenhall believes that physicians, when presented with substantially comprehensive and intuitive data on a patient's exposure to polluted environments, can make more informed decisions about treatment and diagnosis.
Maintaining a personal health record (PHR) is the key to my existence today. My PHR experience started in the early 1970’s. My parents were diligent about keeping comprehensive and up-to-date files and medical records for me, due to a near medical error as a child. I was almost given the wrong medication by the physician in an emergency situation.
A friend reviewed my medical history with me, including all of my illnesses and health issues. She asked me to start at the top of my head and to go all the way to my toes, and to list anything that was wrong including explanations for any scars.
I take approximately 15 different medications. My PHR helped my surgeon's office with the medical information they needed to access for inclusion in their records. When I was admitted to the hospital for the surgery they already had all of the information copied from my PHR for the doctor.
- Should my PHR include emergency contact information?
- Where do I go if I can't find the information I need on your Web site?
- What is the training for people involved in managing my health records?
- Does AHIMA store copies of my health record?
- What do I do if I believe my health information privacy rights have been violated?
- Where can I locate the federal and state laws that govern the disclosure of my health information?
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