Greece, on
average, attracts more than 17.5 million tourists each year. Despite the crisis facing the country, this
number is not likely to change dramatically.
However, the recession has greatly affected the employment of medical
personnel. Many doctors for example, are
not only immigrating abroad, but also seeking employment on Greek islands in
order to provide their services to tourists.
This raises the question: Is there a difference between managing local
patients and tourists from other lands?
According
to Dr. Manolis Paterakis, a general practitioner, who resides permanently on
the island of Crete and whose patients include both locals and visitors, there
is a difference mainly in protocol.
While working
with foreigners visiting Greece can be a challenge, especially for doctors who
have little or no experience with these types of patients, Dr. Paterakis has provided the following ten
useful tips:
Ten tips
for doctors working with visitors from abroad:
1) Check their insurance cards to see
what their coverage includes and if there is a deductable or additional cost
involved.
2) Be meticulous in taking and
recording every single detail of the
patient’s history and medication. If there
are any accompanying relatives, ask them, as well, in case the patient has
forgotten to mention something.
3) Use the services of a translator
because some expressions used by the patient might not be understood.
4) Ask for a follow- up one day before
their departure in order to make sure they can endure the flight without any
problems.
5) Follow the Anglo-Saxon protocol of
politeness.
6) After having examined the patient
thoroughly, restate the medical problem because you might discover something
different from what you understood due to the language barrier.
7) Keep in mind that they may return
next year, thus, proper bedside manners are crucial.
8) Learn more about the cultural
backgrounds of your past or potential patients in order to prevent
misunderstandings.
9) Follow the protocol of therapy
because insurance companies might question
what you did.
10) Write a detailed report of every instruction
given and examination ordered, and keep a copy. If the patient does not follow all your
advice you will have proof that they were instructed to do so.
The objective, according to Dr. Paterakis, is
to have the patients up and about as soon as possible. Their vacation time is limited and the last
thing they need is to spend it sick in bed. In order to want to come
back to Greece, foreign tourists should have a positive experience even if
there is a health setback.
Maria Chionis teaches Medical
English Terminology and Communications Course at the School of Foreign
Languages at the University of Athens.
Dr. Paterakis, general practitioner, contact information: email: emmgpaterakis@gmail.comSmyrnis 33
Hrakleio, Crete
tel.: 2810241044
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