Hong Yan Alicia
School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
J Med Internet Res. 2016 May 23;18(5):e115. doi: 10.2196/jmir.5432.
In October 2015, the "Chinese American Physicians E-Hospital" celebrated its "grand opening" online. All physicians affiliated with this E-Hospital are bilingual Chinese American physicians, who provide services ranging from initial teleconsulting to international transfer and treatment in the United States. Such telemedicine platform for medical tourism not only saves the patients from the hassles of identifying and connecting with an appropriate health service provider but also minimizes the language and cultural barriers. As a growing number of patients from middle- and low-income countries travel to the United States (US) for medical care, we face promising opportunities as well as mounting challenges. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the US has guidance for Americans seeking care overseas, but is not available for international patients seeking care in US. This article opens a dialogue on the challenges associated with flourishing medical tourism and telemedicine, including quality assessment, risk communication, ethical guidelines, and legal concerns.
2015年10月，“美籍华裔医生电子医院”在网上举行了“盛大开业”仪式。这家电子医院的所有医生都是能说双语的美籍华裔医生，他们提供的服务范围从初步的远程会诊到在美国的国际转诊和治疗。这种医疗旅游远程医疗平台不仅为患者省去了寻找和联系合适医疗服务提供者的麻烦，还最大限度地减少了语言和文化障碍。随着越来越多来自中低收入国家的患者前往美国就医，我们面临着充满希望的机遇和日益严峻的挑战。美国疾病控制中心（CDC）有针对赴美就医美国人的指导意见，但没有针对赴美就医国际患者的指导意见。本文开启了一场关于蓬勃发展的医疗旅游和远程医疗相关挑战的对话，包括质量评估、风险沟通、道德准则和法律问题。
