New survey reveals Americans extremely happy with health care received overseas

23-Jul-2010

July 23, 2010 (West Palm Beach, Florida and Bangkok, Thailand) – Bumrungrad International hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, which 60 Minutes called “the top international hospital in the world”, scores high with American patients in a new survey just released by the Florida-based Medical Tourism Association (MTA).

The survey reflects the opinions of more than 250 U.S. patients who intentionally traveled to Bumrungrad International and paid for health care out of pocket.

• 93% rated the hospital as “very good” or “excellent”

• 80% felt their health care was more personalized

• 82% would recommend to friends, family and acquaintances that they also travel for medical care

• 88% said they would travel internationally again for care

• 76% had no communication problems or language barrier with hospital staff

The survey also found that more than half of the patients surveyed:

• Do not have health insurance

• Rated their experience better than it would have been in the U.S.

• Felt “very safe” overseas

Bumrungrad International hospital sees an average of 180 American outpatient visits and inpatient admits per day; half are Americans from the U.S. and half are expatriates who use Bumrungrad as their regular hospital. More than 200 doctors are U.S. board certified, and the hospital has an American management team.

By 2017, according to the Deloitte study, more than 23 million Americans could be traveling overseas to seek better, more affordable and timely health care services.

In 2008, The American Medical Association released guidelines for medical travel and recommendations for insurance companies sending patients overseas.

Additionally, Bumrungrad International has won awards for interior design and hotel-like features such as luxury suites, concierge service, zen gardens, wifi, on site shopping and international cuisine. U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality studies show that well-designed hospital environments can reduce patient anxiety, lower blood pressure, and lessen pain, while increasing quality of care and staff retention.