The most common procedures provided in medical treatment services in Colombia are:

Cardiology – Hemodynamics – Hospitalization – Surgery – Neurosurgery – Electrophysiology – Internal medicine – Orthopedics – Emergencies – Plastic surgery – Oncology – Executive check.

Source:

Sectorial Chamber of Health – ANDI. Elaboration: PROEXPORT. Colombia.

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Health and Medical Tourism –  Trends

-> Affordability, availability, specialization and quality of treatment are the main reasons why more and more people are traveling to other countries for medical, dental or surgical treatments.

->The increase in the average age has also increased the demand for health services. Likewise, a low capacity to care for hospitals and clinics generates an over-demand that cannot be supplied in the country of origin, which is why hospitals with installed capacity have begun to attract foreign patients. This, added to insufficient technological capacity in the country of origin, makes people look for other alternatives for their treatments.

-> The increase in the demand for medical services at an international level has awakened the interest of the tourism industry in forming alliances with this sector, due to the wide possibilities it represents for the hotel industry, travel agencies and airlines, among others. This trend is because patients are beginning to act as consumers rather than patients, especially in cases where treatment and travel are paid for themselves.

->  In the 2012 Medical Tourism Survey it was found that 9 out of 10 Europeans would travel again for medical treatment and also recommend it to someone else. For its part, cost was mentioned in 83% of the cases as the main reason why they travel for medical treatments. Consequently, the high costs of medical treatments in developed countries constitute a competitive advantage for emerging countries that offer high quality at lower prices.

-> Regarding per capita spending on health, the Netherlands with US $ 5,200, Luxembourg with US $ 4,800 and Denmark with US $ 4,600 are the countries of the European Union where more is spent on health, followed by Austria, France and Germany with more than US $ 4,000 per capita, respectively. For their part, Bulgaria and Romania were the countries with the lowest spending with around US $ 950 per year. Health at a Glance 2012- European Commission of Public Health (OECD).

-> After public funding, the main source of health spending comes from patients themselves. In 2010, the percentage in which people had to incur health expenses was highest in Cyprus (49%), Bulgaria (43%) and Greece (38%). The lowest percentages were found in the Netherlands (6%), France (7%) and the United Kingdom (9%). In addition, it is expected that in Europe this proportion will increase more and more, which becomes a great opportunity for the Colombian offer of medical treatments.