Going deep: Patients Beyond Borders Singapore edition

Medical tourism author Josef Woodman is following up with a Singapore edition of Patients Beyond Borders, just four months after the release of the original, groundbreaking book. (Listen to or read the transcript of my interview with Joe for more on the first book.)

According to the press release:

The 336-page guidebook features an in-depth overview of Singapore’s hospitals and clinics serving international patients, including detailed coverage of Centers of Excellence, specialties and super-specialties, patient liaison services, accommodation options, travel destinations and more.

The new book will be launched in Singapore in late July during the World Conference of Family Doctors. SingaporeMedicine and Mr. Woodman will hold a joint press conference on the 23rd of July, followed by a media tour of some of Singapore's finest hospitals.

Singapore sets the gold standard for international medical travel, with at least 11 JCI-accredited hospitals, high standards of medical care and excellent patient service. Prices tend to be higher than other places in Asia, but much lower than the in the US.

At the 4th WHCC in Washington, I met Dr. Jason Yap, Director of Healthcare Services of the Singapore Tourism Board. He laid out Singapore's medical tourism strategy, which I found to be particularly clever. The logic goes something like this:

• Singapore aspires to have world-class health care for its citizens
• With a population of under 5 million, the country lacks the minimum efficient scale required to support the various sub-specialties
• By orienting itself to serve the global market, Singapore can achieve sufficient patient volumes to support sub-specialists, and can make it attractive for Sinagporean and other world-class physicians to work there
• The strategy is supported by Singapore's overall positioning as a modern, efficient, clean, technologically-advanced, orderly place with high customer service levels

I can't wait to read the book, and I'm also hoping to join the media tour in Singapore next month. If I make it, I'll have a lot more to write about.