Patients sometimes seek medical treatment and/or visit specialists abroad because the therapy or technology they seek is unavailable in their home countries.
If a patient travels to a foreign country for treatment through their international health plan, they’ll find very real advantages of receiving medical care in their own language.
1. Giving and receiving precise explanations
Most languages feature several linguistic varieties, i.e., different words, intonations, pronunciation and expressions. Language is also influenced by various factors, including the speaker’s place of origin, age, social group and level of education.
Even if one believes they have an excellent command of a second language, communication in one’s mother tongue tends to be more precise and more fully understood.
2. Direct communication with medical staff
Although many clinics specializing in international patient care provide expert interpreters to facilitate communication among patients, their families and the professionals who treat them, being able to fluidly express questions, concerns and symptoms is invaluable.
In addition to the accuracy of being able to give and receive direct explanations, the ability to communicate personally with the entire medical team offers the patient more confidence and peace of mind. This sense of security often results in a more comfortable, successful treatment.
3. Cultural proximity
Language allows us to understand the world in a certain way, in sync with other native speakers of that language. In many languages, there are expressive words that simply do not exist in another language.
Communicating in the same native language allows for a greater sense of familiarity and understanding, which reduces the uncertainty that medical treatment in a foreign country can generate.
VUMI® offers top medical care in your language
VUMI® provides an extensive network of medical providers, including some of the best hospitals in the Americas and around the world.
If you want to learn more about our worldwide network of medical providers offering services in your native language, please contact your insurance agent.
