HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020
Intro: International travelers may seek care abroad to address health problems that arise during their trip or plan healthcare outside their country of residence as medical tourists. Methods: Data were collected on travelers evaluated at GeoSentinel Network sites who reported healthcare during trave...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-05-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971223004691 |
| _version_ | 1797824534312648704 |
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| author | W. Piyaphanee R. Stoney H. Asgeirsson G. Appiah M. Diaz-Menendez E. Barnett P. Gautret M. Libman P. Schlagenhauf K. Leder K. Plewes M. Grobusch R. Huits K. Mavunda D. Hamer L. Chen |
| author_facet | W. Piyaphanee R. Stoney H. Asgeirsson G. Appiah M. Diaz-Menendez E. Barnett P. Gautret M. Libman P. Schlagenhauf K. Leder K. Plewes M. Grobusch R. Huits K. Mavunda D. Hamer L. Chen |
| author_sort | W. Piyaphanee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Intro: International travelers may seek care abroad to address health problems that arise during their trip or plan healthcare outside their country of residence as medical tourists. Methods: Data were collected on travelers evaluated at GeoSentinel Network sites who reported healthcare during travel. Both unplanned and planned healthcare were analyzed, including the reason and nature of healthcare sought, characteristics of the treatment provided, and outcomes. Travelers that presented for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis were described elsewhere and were excluded from detailed analysis. Findings: From May 2017 through June 2020, after excluding travelers obtaining rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (n=415), 1,093 travelers reported care for a medical or dental issue that was an unanticipated part of the travelers’ planned itinerary (unplanned healthcare). Travelers who sought unplanned healthcare abroad had frequent diagnoses of acute diarrhea, dengue, falciparum malaria, and unspecified viral syndrome, and obtained care in 131 countries. Thirty-four (3%) reported subsequent deterioration and 230 (21%) reported no change in condition; a third (n=405; 37%) had a pre-travel health encounter. Forty-one travelers had sufficient data on planned healthcare abroad for analysis. The most common destinations were the US, France, Dominican Republic, Belgium, and Mexico. The top reasons for their planned healthcare abroad were unavailability of procedure at home (n=9; 19%), expertise abroad (n=9; 19%), lower cost (n=8; 17%), and convenience (n=7; 15%); a third (n=13; 32%) reported cosmetic or surgical procedures. Early and late complications occurred in 14 (33%) and 4 (10%) travelers, respectively. Four travelers (10%) had a pre-travel health encounter. Conclusion: A substantial number of travelers developed health problems abroad. International travelers encounter health problems during travel that often could be prevented by pre-travel consultation. Travelers obtaining planned healthcare abroad can experience negative health consequences associated with treatments abroad, for which pre-travel consultations could provide advice and potentially help to prevent complications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:40:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cc8ce164942a4dce95a918f221154223 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1201-9712 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:40:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-cc8ce164942a4dce95a918f2211542232023-05-18T04:39:04ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases1201-97122023-05-01130S138S139HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020W. Piyaphanee0R. Stoney1H. Asgeirsson2G. Appiah3M. Diaz-Menendez4E. Barnett5P. Gautret6M. Libman7P. Schlagenhauf8K. Leder9K. Plewes10M. Grobusch11R. Huits12K. Mavunda13D. Hamer14L. Chen15Mahidol University, Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Bangkok, ThailandCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Atlanta, GA, United States of AmericaKarolinska University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Stockholm, SwedenCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Atlanta, GA, United States of AmericaRICET, Hospital La Paz- Carlos III, Tropical and Travel Medicine Unit, Madrid, SpainBoston Medical Center, Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA, United States of America; Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston, United States of AmericaAix Marseille University, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, FranceMcGill University, J.D. MacLean Centre for Tropical Diseases, Montreal, CanadaUniversity of Zürich, Centre for Travel Medicine, Zurich, SwitzerlandMonash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Melbourne, ACT, Australia; Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Melbourne, United States Minor Outlying IslandsUniversity of British Columbia, Department of Medicine, Vancouver, CanadaUniversity of Amsterdam, Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, NetherlandsIRCCS Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, Department of Infectious Tropical diseases and Microbiology, Negrar, ItalyInternational Travel Clinic, International Travel Clinic, Miami, AL, United States of AmericaBoston University School of Public Health, Department of Global Health, Boston, MA, United States of America; Boston University, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research and Policy, Boston, MA, United States of America; Boston University School of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA, United States of AmericaMount Auburn Hospital, Division of Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine, Cambridge, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Boston, AL, United States of AmericaIntro: International travelers may seek care abroad to address health problems that arise during their trip or plan healthcare outside their country of residence as medical tourists. Methods: Data were collected on travelers evaluated at GeoSentinel Network sites who reported healthcare during travel. Both unplanned and planned healthcare were analyzed, including the reason and nature of healthcare sought, characteristics of the treatment provided, and outcomes. Travelers that presented for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis were described elsewhere and were excluded from detailed analysis. Findings: From May 2017 through June 2020, after excluding travelers obtaining rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (n=415), 1,093 travelers reported care for a medical or dental issue that was an unanticipated part of the travelers’ planned itinerary (unplanned healthcare). Travelers who sought unplanned healthcare abroad had frequent diagnoses of acute diarrhea, dengue, falciparum malaria, and unspecified viral syndrome, and obtained care in 131 countries. Thirty-four (3%) reported subsequent deterioration and 230 (21%) reported no change in condition; a third (n=405; 37%) had a pre-travel health encounter. Forty-one travelers had sufficient data on planned healthcare abroad for analysis. The most common destinations were the US, France, Dominican Republic, Belgium, and Mexico. The top reasons for their planned healthcare abroad were unavailability of procedure at home (n=9; 19%), expertise abroad (n=9; 19%), lower cost (n=8; 17%), and convenience (n=7; 15%); a third (n=13; 32%) reported cosmetic or surgical procedures. Early and late complications occurred in 14 (33%) and 4 (10%) travelers, respectively. Four travelers (10%) had a pre-travel health encounter. Conclusion: A substantial number of travelers developed health problems abroad. International travelers encounter health problems during travel that often could be prevented by pre-travel consultation. Travelers obtaining planned healthcare abroad can experience negative health consequences associated with treatments abroad, for which pre-travel consultations could provide advice and potentially help to prevent complications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971223004691 |
| spellingShingle | W. Piyaphanee R. Stoney H. Asgeirsson G. Appiah M. Diaz-Menendez E. Barnett P. Gautret M. Libman P. Schlagenhauf K. Leder K. Plewes M. Grobusch R. Huits K. Mavunda D. Hamer L. Chen HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020 International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| title | HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020 |
| title_full | HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020 |
| title_fullStr | HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020 |
| title_full_unstemmed | HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020 |
| title_short | HEALTHCARE DURING TRAVEL: A GEOSENTINEL DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS, 2017-2020 |
| title_sort | healthcare during travel a geosentinel descriptive analysis 2017 2020 |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971223004691 |
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