The Utility of Global Care

Quality of health care varies from country to country, but knowledge is universal.

A patient from Madagascar is unfortunately diagnosed with a retinoblastoma. His doctor recommends using argon gas to freeze and destroy the affected tissue. Given the chance, this patient would like to get a second opinion, but his options are limited, as there isn’t another ophthalmologist in his area.

He remembers a benefit offered by his employer through Advance Medical. With this benefit, he can receive an Expert Medical Opinion from their extensive team of Experts, many of whom specialize in ophthalmology. Yet, he is hesitant. If none of these Experts are local to Madagascar, what benefit can he truly receive from their opinion?

What he doesn’t know is that of the team of Experts under Advance Medical’s umbrella, there are those who are well versed in international care—medical professionals who have a type metacognition that supports the ability to recognize how healthcare performs globally. For instance, an Expert residing in Israel assigned to this patient’s case may very well know that Madagascar is the country with lowest recorded healthcare expenditure per capita. Given this information, he is likely aware that the patient’s ophthalmologist, though knowledgeable and capable, may not have the tools at his disposal to properly diagnose or treat the patient.

If the patient decides to pursue an Expert Medical Opinion through Advance Medical, the Expert has a chance to scrutinize the treating ophthalmologist’s imaging studies using a skillset developed over decades of work in this field.

Having a look at the patient’s imaging, the Expert is able to see that the patient has a more advanced stage of the disease than initially diagnosed. With this information, the Expert is able to determine that the treating ophthalmologist’s initial plan to perform cryotherapy will not have its intended effect. Retinoblastoma of this degree requires aggressive therapy treatment. With this Expert’s capacity for universal knowledge, he is able to determine that, even with Madagascar’s limited medical funding, the patient can receive an effective treatment of plaque radiotherapy from a clinic within a reasonable distance.

While a local Expert may have assisted this patient in some, perhaps more personal, aspects. If he didn’t have that international familiarity, his knowledge may be limited to what is affordable by the standards of Madagascar’s limited healthcare expenditure. An Expert with universal experience can implement techniques and suggest technologies that some professionals may not know exist outside their realm of regional expertise.

Advance Medical may not have physicians stationed in all 196 countries, but there are a select few from a caste of doctors with knowledge that extends beyond their local trends and practices. From these Experts, a second opinion carries with it a wealth global medical evidence and experience derived from a universal database.

Although a patient may be deterred from an opinion from outside his geographical radius, it may actually be more advantageous to consult an Expert with multifaceted experience adopted from many locations.

Mind you, not every Expert has this skill, but for those that do, their difference in location does not imply a difference in personable dedication and care.