Greetings ...
... And welcome to our new, improved newsletter format. We hope that in the coming months and years, you and your colleagues will find our periodic communiqués a useful way to stay updated on our activities. We also hope to occasionally provide some pearls of insight into the fast-growing, ever-changing world of medical tourism and global healthcare.
Sky Falling? Since late last year, I've been asked on countless occasions by healthcare and media people whether the current global economic meltdown will have a positive or negative effect on medical tourism. The answer is "Yes." Short-term, we're all caught in the red ink of this downturn, and most of the hospitals and medical travel facilitators I speak with are citing lower numbers for their most recent reporting periods.
Patients delaying non-critical care are the leading driver. Longer term (18 months out), look for a handsome surge, as these very same patients seek long-delayed, cost-effective alternatives. History is a good teacher here, as past downturns reveal that providers who continue to cultivate their client base will gain market share over their competitors when the economy recovers.
Fun with Web 2.0 It's no secret that members of the healthcare community—from physicians all the way up the ladder to CEO's—have been quite reluctant to embrace the powerful new communications and networking tools now offered by the Internet. Yet it's the international medical travel community, with so many global dots to connect, that stands to gain the most by vigilant adoption of new online tools, including the social and business networking applications that form "Web 2.0."
I, for one, have just joined Twitter, and am finding it a useful way to stay informed, keep others in the global healthcare community informed, and streamline the flow of information through micro-blogging. Search for JosefWoodman, and let's all begin to explore ways to hook into the social and marketing communications benefits the Web is laying at our feet. Stay tuned for more on this topic in future newsletters.
Kindle ReKindled I'm pleased to report that Patients Beyond Borders is now available on Amazon's newly released Kindle 2.0. The new Kindle version allows readers to search Patients Beyond Borders by condition, hospital, destination, or any single word—and it will even read to you aloud if you prefer! We're also working to port all Patients Beyond Borders editions to other mobile devices, such as IPhone, Blackberry, and TMobile T1 (GooglePhone). Coming soon: new Kindle editions for Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.
We're always pleased to hear from you with any comments or questions. You can reach me at jwoodman@healthtraveler.net.
All best, Joe
Patients Beyond Borders Malaysia Edition to Launch in July
New guide to showcase Malaysia's world-class medical facilities
Healthy Travel Media and the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM) jointly announce the launch of the Patients Beyond Borders: Malaysia Edition, to be published in English for international distribution. The Malaysia Edition will be formally launched on 21 July at the APHM/ASQua/ISQua Conference and Exhibition 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Continue reading
Patients Beyond Borders to Publish Turkey Edition
"European Capital of Culture" Now a Leading Medical Travel Destination
Healthy Travel Media and the Accredited Hospitals Association of Turkey (AHAT) jointly announce the publication of Patients Beyond Borders: Turkey Edition, to be published in English Fall 2009 for international distribution. Supported by Turkey's leading healthcare facilities, the 280-page guidebook will offer an in-depth overview of Turkey's leading American-accredited hospitals, selected health travel agents, accommodations, and essential medical travel information. Continue reading
Patients Beyond Borders Author to Deliver Plenary Session at CISTM 2009
Medical Tourism and Travel Medicine Sectors Converging
Josef Woodman, President and CEO of Healthy Travel Media, has been selected to be a featured expert panelist at the 11th Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine (CISTM). The conference, which historically attracts up to 2,000 delegates from 50 countries, will be held in Budapest, Hungary, May 24-28, 2009. Plenary sessions throughout the 4-day event will highlight issues of global healthcare and medical tourism, with noted speakers and industry leaders from around the world. Continue reading
Medical tourism: Have illness, will travel
CNN, 26 March 2009
"Josef Woodman, author of Patients Beyond Borders, a guide to medical tourism, told CNN that two to three million people travel outside their home country for treatment each year, while consultancy firm Deloitte calculates that 750,000 Americans traveled abroad for treatment last year." Continue reading
Going Abroad to Find Affordable Health Care
New York Times, 21 March 2009
"The cost of surgery performed overseas can be as little as 20 percent of the price of the same procedure in the United States, according to a recent report by the American Medical Association." Continue reading
Medical tourism offers hope in a global downturn
Taiwan Journal, 20 March 2009
"Many of Taiwan's hospitals are already equipped to handle international patients. A large number of doctors and nurses are able to speak English, and in major medical centers volunteers assist those who cannot communicate in English or any of Taiwan's languages." Continue reading
Singapore backs healthcare to heal financial trauma
The Daily Star, 15 March 2009
"As the global recession hits Singapore's manufacturing and shipping business, the government of the city-state now focuses on attracting more international patients to its world-class hospitals with competitive price offer to help maintain its economy." Continue reading
Seeking healthcare abroad an emerging trend for Vietnamese
Vietnam News, 2 March 2009
Vietnam's largest English-speaking newspaper interviews the author on the basics of international medical travel. Continue reading
From the Road
Images from Istanbul and Seoul
 Patient waiting area, Acibadem Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
View from patient room, Acibadem Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
St. Mary's Hospital lobby, Seoul, Korea
Cryotherapy room, East-West Neo Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
Patient check-in, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea
Executive level room, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea
PBB visits East-West Neo Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
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Inside this Edition
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Author Appearances
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In the Spotlight
Robot-Assisted Prostate Surgery
Severance Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
Severance Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, is using a new, robotic system for surgical treatment of prostate cancer and has performed more such surgeries than anywhere else in the world.
Every year, nearly 700,000 men worldwide are diagnosed with prostate cancer. For many, the best treatment is surgical removal of the prostate gland, a procedure called a radical prostatectomy. The surgery often stops the cancer, but it's not without side effects, including incontinence and impotence.
In recent years, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) has been developed as an alternative to the traditional "open" (large incision) method. LRP is minimally invasive; incisions are no bigger than a dime. A tiny video camera (laparoscope) allows the surgeon to see inside the abdomen.
A still newer option is robot-assisted LRP, using the da Vinci® Surgical System. From a unique "worktable," the surgeon views the internal organs through the laparoscope and controls robotic arms that perform the delicate surgery.
The system offers greater maneuverability and precision to the surgeon and reduces blood loss, pain, and recovery time for the patient. In the hands of a skilled surgeon, nerves that surround the prostate can be spared, lessening the nerve damage that impairs bladder control and diminishes sexual function.
Dr. Koon Ho Rha is one such surgeon. He trained at the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Today he specializes in robotic laparoscopic surgery at Seoul's Severance Hospital, where three da Vinci® systems are currently in use.
Since 2005, Dr. Rha's team has performed more than 1,000 robotic prostatectomies. The success rate for normal post-surgery bladder control exceeds 97 percent. The rate of return to normal sexual functioning for patients younger than 55 stands at over 80 percent, according to Severance Hospital.
"Based on our experience, robotic prostatectomy for prostate cancer is clearly the more beneficial approach when compared to conventional open surgery," says Dr. Rha. "It's optimal for the medical traveler who requires a quick recovery."
"The combination of such a high-tech surgical method and the advanced skill level of Korean doctors is breaking new frontiers in medicine," says Dr. John Linton, director of the International Health Care Center at Severance.
Severance Hospital, founded in 1885, is part of the Yonsei University Health System. It is the world's largest JCI-accredited hospital, with more than 2,000 beds. For more information, contact Judy Orchard at jorchard@healthtraveler.net.
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Of Special Interest
International Medical Travel Association (IMTA) Elects Ruben Toral as President, Expands Worldwide Footprint
The International Medical Travel Association, a leading not-for-profit industry association for medical travel and healthcare globalization, has elected Ruben Toral, CEO of Mednet Asia Ltd., as its new president, succeeding Steven Tucker, MD, an oncologist at the Pacific Cancer Centre in Singapore. The IMTA also elected a new executive committee comprised of internationally recognized healthcare industry veterans, including: Vishal Bali, group CEO, Wockhardt Hospitals, vice president; Jason Yap, MD, marketing director for Raffles Hospital, secretary; and Mack Banner, CEO, Bumrungrad International hospital, treasurer.
In a statement to IMTA members, Toral said, "I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the IMTA and work with my fellow board members. The IMTA already has a solid membership base that includes many of the world's leading medical tourism destinations. My mission is to expand our association by focusing on core issues that drive adoption for worldwide medical travel." Learn more
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