About the clinic and the doctors
- Which doctor will see me, and in which register can I check their registration?
- Is the clinic licensed, and in which register can I find it? (How we check licences lists the registers.)
- Who reads my scans and test results, and what are their qualifications?
About the tests
- What is each test for, and what would I do differently with the result?
- Is this test recommended in guidelines for someone of my age and health? (Our evidence labels show which tests are.)
- What happens if a test finds something, who do I see next, and who pays for the follow-up?
- Will I get my results and a written report, and will my own doctor receive them?
It is worth planning for incidental findings: a 2018 review found potentially serious ones in 3.9% of apparently healthy adults who had brain and body MRI (Gibson et al., 2018).
About treatments
- Is the treatment approved for this use where I live, and who prescribes it after seeing me?
- Is it offered as part of a registered clinical trial?
- Where do the products for drips or injections come from?
- What side effects should I expect, and who do I call afterwards?
The US Food and Drug Administration warns that if you are charged for unapproved stem cell or exosome products, or offered them outside a clinical trial, you are likely being offered a product illegally (FDA page current as of 8 April 2024, FDA).
About the price
- What does the price include, and is tax or a service charge added?
- Are follow-up tests and consultations included?
- Does a membership renew on its own, and how do I cancel it?
- If I pay in instalments, what is the total?
- Will my health insurance pay for any of it? Ask your insurer as well as the clinic.
If you book from abroad
- Can I get my results and the doctor's report before I leave, in a language I read?
- Who do I contact if something goes wrong after I am home?
- Can I bring any medicines I am given back into my own country?
The CDC advises checking the qualifications of the doctor, taking copies of your records with you, bringing copies of your results home and making sure you can get follow-up care at home (CDC).
Sources
- Gibson LM, Paul L, Chappell FM, et al. Potentially serious incidental findings on brain and body magnetic resonance imaging of apparently asymptomatic adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2018;363:k4577. bmj.com
- US Food and Drug Administration. Important patient and consumer information about regenerative medicine therapies (content current as of 8 April 2024). fda.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical tourism: travel to another country for medical care. cdc.gov