Published in 30 April 2023-14:30 pm
EMT2023 interview series with medical tourism experts
Interview with Doctor Anna Weegen, Director at DeutschMedic GmbH – Treatment in Europe, In Essen, Germany.
The text that you read below is part of the interview that Maria Antonietta Princivalle – Founder ofBookingsMed & EMT– had with Doctor Anna Weegen. In this interview, which was conducted online using the Zoom platform, Dr. Weegen explains the status of the indicators of the medical tourism industry in the post-COVID era worldwide and in Germany. Also, she provides useful information about the status of companies, facilitators, and other main players of health tourism in Germany, and tells the audience about her good and bad experiences in this field.
We are honored to have someone of your high profile joining us for this interview. You have been involved in medical tourism for many years, and we are honored to have you here. Please explain and talk about your company and its activities.
Thank you. My name is Anna Weggen. I’m a medical doctor and the founder of Deutschmedia, a medical tourism company that has been serving patients in Germany since 1998. Our company is dedicated to providing high-quality medical services, rather than state-of-the-art facilities, to patients who come from different parts of the world to seek medical treatment in Germany.
We have a team of experienced professionals and partnerships with leading hospitals and clinics across Germany. In addition to medical services, the organization has also made travel and accommodation arrangements for patients, their companions, and their families, taking care of all aspects of the trip, including flight bookings, booking service applications, and local transportation.
What changes do you see in medical tourism after the pandemic?
Today, in April 2023, since we have already overcome epidemiological restrictions in Germany, patients come to us not only for serious chronic diseases but also for preventive checkups, joint prosthetics, and anything related to lifestyle and well-being.
In Germany, how independent is medical tourism from the government?
Yeah, yeah, Germany is characterized by the fact that university clinics and other clinics do not pay fees to medical tourism agencies. This is a breach of compliance, and citizen clinics will find that in Germany, medical tourism agencies charge patients for their services. We can arrange for patients to receive treatment at any clinic that offers psychiatry services. We are independent from the government and local hospitals, allowing us to choose the best approach for our patients.
Did you ever have a good experience with medical tourism?
Yeah, we have good examples every day of what lucky medical tourists are like. For example, a patient with a very rare congenital disorder, for which she could not receive treatment in her home country, was examined and consulted in Germany at a university clinic that specializes in this particular syndrome. The patient now has a clear treatment plan and is conscientious about her future. The patient was also impressed by the level of personalized attention and care provided by the clinical staff.
What is your best advice for clinics and medical facilitators?
My best advice for clinics and medical tourism agencies is to prioritize patient safety. This means being transparent and honest about the risks and potential publications, providing clear communication and follow-up care, and maintaining a high level of ethical standards. The person who accompanies the patient to the doctor’s appointment and ensures that the patient communicates effectively with the doctor plays a major role in the agency. The agency must constantly monitor the competence of its staff.
You are really giving a brilliant and very clear idea of what medical tourism is and how much effort and competence facilitators have to put into this activity. Thank you very much.
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Watch EMT2023 video interviews on the YouTube channel.
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+Read more about EMT2023:
7th Edition of European Medical Tourism Exhibition & Conference (EMT 2023) will be held in Italy