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HEALTH & SCIENCEHeightened security keeping international patients awayU.S. hospitals with substantial international programs see a decline in revenue; doctors see a boost in telemedicine consults.By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Sept. 16, 2002. Washington -- Physicians at some of the nation's top hospitals have treated fewer international patients this year. That decline is one of the many repercussions that resulted from the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Although the drop is most noticeable among patients from countries in the Middle East, all patient travel to the United States has declined, said representatives of hospital programs that focus on the needs of international patients. Even the Mayo Foundation, which has treated heads of state, has seen an approximate 20% decline in the 9,000 to 10,000 international patients typically seen in a year at its three facilities, said Stephen Gudgell, Mayo's operations administrator for international activities. The most significant drop is among patients from the Middle East, he noted. "That's directly related to the events of Sept. 11." Gudgell also points to a downturn in the global economy as another reason for a decline in international patients. "Our numbers are soft from all regions of the world, most significantly from the Middle East, but even from Mexico and Canada our numbers are a little softer this year." The decline has led to a significant loss in hospital revenue, reported Leonard Karp, executive vice president of Philadelphia International Medicine, which represents nine hospitals in the Philadelphia area. Immediately after Sept. 11, the nine hospitals experienced a collective 40% drop in the number of international patients they treated. Through the winter there was something of an increase, and now the numbers stand at about 27% below normal, he said. [...] Full text of AMNews content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2002 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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