One-out-of-four international travellers need hospitalization or medical attention during travel but nearly half of them do not obtain a pre-travel health screening, and fewer do any research about the quality of medical care at their destination beforehand, according to the Global Rescue Winter 2023 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey.

According to the Merck Manuals, when it comes to foreign travel, about 1 in 30 people travelling abroad require emergency care. That percentage is higher among the world’s most experienced travellers. According to the survey, one out of four (24%) revealed that they needed hospitalization or medical attention during travel.

Unfortunately, only about a third (38%) of surveyed travellers researched the quality of medical care at their destination before travelling abroad. The balance (62%) did not do any research in advance.

“In today’s travel landscape, you may not want to travel to any destination where the level of medical care isn’t up to your standards unless you have medical evacuation services. It puts you, your health and your trip at risk,” said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue.

“Hospital layouts differ. The medication might not look the same. Some hospitals use IVs with glass bottles instead of plastic bags. Triage may be done differently than it is in the United States,” said Jeff Weinstein, medical operations associate manager at Global Rescue.

“Travelers should obtain destination reports covering everything from travel health and personal security advice to currency and common scams before taking a trip, especially to a foreign country,” Richards added.

More than half (54%) of the world’s most experienced travellers surveyed by Global Rescue said they obtain a pre-travel health consultation with a physician to discuss their itinerary, pre-existing conditions, a medications list and any health concerns they may have to decrease medical risks during travel.

That’s nearly two times better than the average, according to Mass General Brigham that reported 30 million travellers visited limited-resource countries overseas, but only 25 to 30% sought medical advice before they went.

“Certain health conditions and medications can increase your health risks during travel and these risks will vary by destination, activities and mode of travel,” Weinstein said.

Written by: Bill McIntyre

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