As medical director of a clinic providing health care in Ukraine and Georgia, I am sometimes asked by potential clients what they should look for in an international clinic and in providing good health care for themselves and their families. What clients look for are also the quality issues that I try to deliver.
Perhaps this question can be easily answered by saying that they should choose a comprehensive service that is delivered in either their native language or more commonly in English.
I choose English not because it is my own language but because nearly all medical information and up to date guidelines are available in English, and doctors working in such an environment should be able to provide international care to the highest standards.
A comprehensive service is not just about the medicine practiced. Like a good hotel, patients need an intelligent reception staff who can administer appointments but also deal efficiently with emergencies and have both protocols and training to work with ill and often scared patients. Providing good reception services helps to create an atmosphere in which patients can prepare for their consultations.
The most important features of good doctors are those that have a strong commitment to their own education and to being able to communicate with, and listen to, patients from many differing cultures.
Patients should look for a service that provides them continuity and teamwork rather than a single physician they like. Accessibility is also important and they should look for doctors who have good administrative skills, so they are quickly made aware of their results and future care. The clinic that they choose should have a carefully selected network of specialists, laboratories and imaging clinics. Again these should have some English-language skills and are chosen for their own quality of care, reporting and accessibility. A comprehensive and holistic service is also important with doctors who can co-ordinate care across a large range of specialities and who have international contacts for referral. The clinic should be able to provide flexible vaccination programmes for children that fit into their own national programmes, as this is important when children return to school.
Emergency care is important and patients should look for evidence of equipment and protocols for dealing with common emergencies. International medical care often needs to reference and communicate with the patient’s home doctor and it is important that all reports, laboratory results and imaging can be in English and exist in an electronic format. The clinic should have experience in such communications, report writing and collation of results. The clinic should have working knowledge and experience of casualty evacuation procedures and how to co-ordinate these.
A good clinic should be able to demonstrate its own quality control through patient questionnaires and robust complaints procedures that actually change policy – a good question to ask is what complaint recently changed your operating policy! Check that your clinic has a number of international clients – embassies, banks, NGO’s that all have exacting standards of care and choose their providers carefully.
It is important to choose a clinic that works efficiently with insurance companies, both national and international, and has a working knowledge of the insurance market and claims procedures. Some illnesses can be expensive and an expert can help to quickly provide advice and guarantees of payment through direct billing, when these services are available.
Many expatriates also require medicals for their jobs, relocation and for preventative measures and a good clinic should be able to provide these and their reports and electronic data for the patient.
Finally a good clinic should have a sense of medical ethics, ensuring the strictest confidentiality and other high standards of ethics. Social media is an important source of information about your provider and should be consulted.
In choosing your clinic, do visit the place, talk to the medical director and ask questions that relate to some of these standards. Hopefully in so doing you will feel happy and confident with your choice and be well looked after, if you are unfortunately unwell.
Dr Richard Styles is a physician with 40 years of experience as a doctor during which time he was active in the development of medical standards in the United Kingdom. He is medical director of American Medical Centers and is responsible for the development and quality of care in five medical centers across Ukraine and Georgia.
