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Ethical Considerations for Medical Travel
Rick Johnson, Senior Online Editor
It's unreasonable to expect any industry to solve all possible ethical issues on the front-end of globalization. In the history of globalization, what industry has indisputably succeeded navigating the minefield of multicultural ethical considerations? I believe that as global healthcare evolves, it will find ways over time to resolve ethical concerns, provide more healthcare options to those in need, and help to further develop emerging countries. [Read More]
     
 
June 3, 2008
 
Editor's Picks
India's public/private system wrestles with ethical issues
In a country in which the rural poor cannot get help for basic healthcare needs, India's private hospitals offer state-of-the-art care to those who can pay for it. One wonders whether the country would be better served without private hospitals, but consider that in growing numbers the emerging middle-class is choosing to access care at private hospitals over public hospitals. In addition, I've heard that the private hospitals are bringing physicians who were practicing in the U.S. and Europe back to India. Without private hospitals, would a significant number of Indian doctors really decide to practice in public and rural settings? [Read More]
Canadians deal with the ethics of queue jumping
Universal healthcare might be something that some providers, politicians, and patients covet, but even Canadians decide to bring their chronic conditions to global hospitals rather than suffer for years on end. Stuart Laidlaw, faith and ethics reporter for the Toronto Star, writes about Jill Misangyi, who after waiting in Canada for 16 years traveled to Bangalore and spent $8,600 for her spinal fusion. [Read More]
UCLA's ethics questioned over liver transplants
Because the demand is so high, organ transplantation issues can quickly become a hot story. In this case, the Los Angeles Times says UCLA Medial Center gave a Japanese crime boss a new liver—at a time when organs were in short supply. The story confronts ethical issues about whether UCLA had an obligation to determine if Tadamasa Goto and others were worthy of the transplants considering their reputations and criminal histories. [Read More]
Global Health Headlines
Brazil court rules in favor of stem cell research
AP/USA Today, May 30, 2008
Virtual healthcare worker could save patient time and nursing resources
Science Daily, May 29, 2008
Quake victims overwhelm Chinese hospitals
Wall Street Journal (subscription required), May 29, 2008
Webcasts and Audioconferences
June 17, 2008: Physician Alignment Strategies: Choose the Right On-call Compensation Model for Your Hospital
June 17, 2008: Marketing Oncology: Strategies for Service Line Campaigns
On Demand: Healthcare branding: Advanced Strategies to Overcome Common Challenges
On Demand: Service Line Strategies Workshop: Oncology
On Demand: Proven Compensation Strategies for Part-time Physicians
 
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Audio Feature
Global Growth: Jason Yap, MD, of Singapore Medicine, discusses his country's global healthcare growth plans. [Listen Now]
Traveling to Taiwan: Connie Ma, RN, executive vice president, talks about Min-Sheng Hospital's medical travel efforts. [Listen Now]