In previous issues of We The Italians, we explored various topics related to Italian excellence in the global healthcare sector. Starting from the company Medical Tourism Italy, exploring the illuminated idea of its founder, Claudio Paccanaro, the articles took a brief look at many Italian excellences in the medical field. In “The Importance of Being There”, we have seen how it is vital to understand the healthcare in the countries they work with.

However, when talking about a medical tourism company, it is important to understand what happens behind the scenes. When a patient comes into another country for treatment, it is never an easy experience. Most of the time, these people explore other options around the world when they are already unsatisfied with the results in their familiar environment. This means that they are often frustrated, and, in the worst case, they could be sceptical or in a negative state of mind. This is the first challenge a company like Medical Tourism Italy encounters.

To overcome this problem, they had to rethink the character of the Patient care coordinator. Before we look into it, we must keep in mind that Medical Tourism Italy had to reinvent everything. Most importantly, mistakes were made at the beginning of this start-up; these mistakes were key in building the experience that enabled such a high-quality service. The patient care coordinator, the way it was intended, comes from this fertile soil of mistakes. Medical Tourism Italy understood that some things could not be solved with a simple email exchange. People needed to see a person, the office behind them, and have a glimpse of the “real thing”.

It isn’t easy to “create” a patient care coordinator: it needs lots of training in many fields. They have the first conversation with the patient; therefore, they need to have an excellent understanding of the treatment in question and of the services. They can’t hesitate, because they must radiate positive sensations. They also need to be friendly, kind, and good listeners. At the first call, a patient care coordinator needs to perceive what kind of patient they are talking to. Is it someone in extreme pain? Is it someone depressed or scared? What about their caregiver? Many, many factors influence the first conversation and will determine if there will be another one. When the communication is done right, the second step is to organize everything: from the hotel booking to the booking of the appointments. They must make sure that the Patient Manager has all the information they need: does the patient need a wheelchair, for example? Does the patient need special equipment for special therapies? Everything must be organized in every single detail.

In anticipation of the patient’s arrival, all the paperwork must be ready. This is where the new person comes into the scene: the Patient Manager. This role, too, might sound familiar, but it needed adjustments for medical tourism. The mentioned company had to rethink them, having to assist patients and their caregivers in a country they don’t know, with its traditions and rules. In Medical Tourism Italy, for example, a patient manager is the person who meets the patient and the caregivers at the airport, drives them to the hotel, and installs the therapies that can be installed in the room. They will be together throughout the whole experience. The patient manager will be in constant contact with the office in case the patient needs anything. Of course, a patient manager needs not only to speak perfect English but also have a deep understanding of the culture they are in contact with, in this case, American.

This is but a brief look at all the work that needs to be done without the patient realizing it. The goal is to give the smoothest experience possible, so that the patient can receive all the treatments and services in the most relaxing way. It is important, being a new developing business, to consider these and many other factors.