Health tourism agents are classified as health tourism intermediaries. Thus they connect between health tourists and providers of health services.
Responsibilities of the health tourism agency determined within the scope of international health tourism and tourist health are as follows.
- Intermediary institutions should be objective when choosing the health institutions that will be guided by the patient’s request.
- The process to be managed by the intermediary institution must be in line with patient preferences.
- While the intermediary institutions give opinions and suggestions to patients, they should have health workers who are competent in terms of medical technology and medical science in their company.
- Intermediary institutions should prefer hospitals that meet the criteria for accreditation for health tourism. These hospitals should provide assurance in terms of clinical quality reliability.
- Intermediary institutions should provide information on their website in order to facilitate communication with international patients.
- Intermediary institutions should provide sufficient and detailed information about the services provided by the hospitals to the patients.
- Intermediary institutions should have defined and documented processes for appointment requests from patients and/or third parties acting on behalf of the patient.
- The hospitals where the intermediary institutions are directed by the patients must have a health tourism department and an interpreter service.
- Intermediary institutions should use a standard language that is easily understood by everyone when communicating with patients.
- Information on the price policy should be given to the patient so that a reasonable cost calculation and treatment plan can be shown.
- Medical information and confirmation that the patient’s data has been received and evaluated by the hospital should be given to the patient.
- The process towards the preparation of hospital treatments must be shared with the patient, including tele-medical and / or web-based data provision via other channels.
- The information security for data exchange of patient and hospital data should be presented to the patient.
- The patient should be informed about all treatment alternatives offered by the health facility or doctors.
- Joint treatment planning should be done in accordance with the patient’s approval.
- Except for possible complications, it is necessary to make predictions about the time required for treatment under normal conditions.
- Information on rehabilitation programs should be given to the patient if necessary after medical intervention/treatment.
- In addition to the necessary prepayment and payment methods, the refund policy and conditions to continue the treatment in case of any problem are specified by the facilitator.
- If necessary, support for visa applications, including a confirmation letter, must be provided.
- Information about transportation to the hospital which is suggested should be published accessible and transparently either written material or via the website.
- The whole process which consists a flight plan, welcoming and transfer, until arrival to the hospital should be coordinated.
- Hotel reservation and other services must be provided according to the wishes of the patient and the attendant. (For example Shopping tours, city tours, museum and theatre tours.)
- Responsibilities and obligations should be clarified in case of changing or cancelling the travel.
- Patients should be informed about possible tourism programs after treatment or after the rehabilitation phase.
- After all transactions, the necessary documentation must be provided to the patient and the insurance institution of the patient.