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AMA releases ethical guidance on medical tourism

At its annual meeting, AMA adopted new ethical guidance to assist physicians in understanding their role in caring for patients who are seeking or receiving treatments or procedures outside the United States.

Medical tourism often yields ethical, safety, quality and follow-up care concerns, according to AMA.

“When asked to make right what went wrong as a result of medical travel, physicians can be confronted with a problematic position when they lack vital information to guide follow-up care,” Patrice A. Harris, MD, immediate past chair of AMA, said in a press release. “The AMA’s new ethical policy will help guide physicians on the implications of medical tourism and their responsibilities with patients.”

In the guidance, AMA suggested that physicians:

• become familiar with medical tourism issues;
• educate patients on the risks and benefits of seeking medical care outside of the country, particularly for unapproved therapies;
• advise patients to discuss follow-up care with the physician;
• provide professional guidance on care decisions; and
• be compassionate and consider the implications of providing follow-up care to returning patients. – by Alaina Tedesco

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