Tips on Choosing a Health Care Provider

The hospitals we recommend are modern and luxurious, and comparable to a five-star hotels. Virtually all of the staff you come into contact with speak English. All patient rooms are private. Like a hotel, you will have a choice of rooms. More deluxe rooms may include a pantry, separate sleeping room for the family, and nicer amenities. All rooms have cable or satellite TV, and some have an in-room safe, DVD player, internet access and other luxury features. In most cases you have a variety of meal choices, including a Western menu.

If you decide to shop for a hospital or clinic on your own, there are a number of questions you should ask:

Is the hospital accredited by an international accreditation organization? Has it ever lost an accreditation?

What are the qualifications of the doctors who will treat you? Do they have board certification? What are their credentials? There is no precedent for medical malpractice suits and punitive damages do not exist are not provided for under Thai law, so it pays to be confident in your own mind about any doctor's qualifications and history.

Have the hospital or doctor ever been the subject of an investigation for negligence, malpractice, unexplained deaths, pharmacy errors, nursing errors, mistaken diagnoses, etc. For example, did any of the hospital's patients treated for pneumonia receive a mistaken written diagnosis for lung cancer and a brain tumor?

What is the nurse to patient ratio in the unit where you will stay? Ratios may vary from unit (department) to unit, so ask for specifics. While the Intensive Care Unit may have two nurses to one doctor, what about the unit where you will be housed for something that is not life threatening?

Does the atmosphere of the hospital promote peace of mind or do you feel like you are in a bus station somewhere in Syria? (Literally.)

How close is the nearest Starbucks and do they deliver?

You may be able to find opinions of other consumers about individual hospitals and clinics on the Internet.

RECOVERY

That is where we come in, and we are presenting this information because we hope you will allow us to take care of your arrangements during your recovery. If your treatment requires one or more outpatient visits or follow-ups appointments, we can arrange a comfortable and relaxing holiday that takes your health care plans into consideration. If you need information abut how we can help you please contact concierge@purpledrag.com