Risk Prevention Plan

Medical travel, like any medical procedure, carries inherent risks. These risks include the standard clinical risks associated with surgical procedures, as well as travel-specific risks such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) from long-haul flights, disruption to follow-up care upon return, and reduced access to your regular physician.

Acules mitigates these risks through rigorous hospital vetting, dedicated patient coordination, and the standards described in this plan. However, patients and employers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified healthcare professionals before making medical travel decisions.

Acules does not admit patients with conditions that make medical travel clinically unsafe, as assessed during the consultation and coordination process. Patient coordinators are trained to identify cases that should not proceed and will escalate these for clinical advisory review.

Before any Acules-coordinated medical trip, patients should complete the following steps:

• Consult your home physician:Obtain your physician's input on your diagnosis, the proposed procedure, and your fitness to travel. Share the proposed treatment plan from the international hospital.
• Get a second opinion if appropriate: For complex or high-risk procedures, consider obtaining a second opinion from a specialist in your home country.
• Medical clearance to travel: Ensure you are medically cleared to undertake international travel, including any vaccination requirements for your destination.
• Obtain comprehensive travel insurance: Purchase travel insurance that explicitly covers medical complications abroad, medical evacuation, and trip cancellation due to medical reasons.
• Emergency contact plan:Designate an emergency contact at home. Ensure your Acules coordinator and the hospital have this person's contact details.
• Review all hospital documentation:Read the hospital's proposed treatment plan, surgical consent forms, and patient rights documentation before departure.
• Prepare your medical records: Compile all relevant medical records, imaging, lab results, and medication lists. Acules coordinates transmission to the hospital but you should retain copies.

Acules' primary risk mitigation measure is limiting our network to JCI-accredited hospitals only. Joint Commission International accreditation applies internationally recognized patient safety standards, including:

• International Patient Safety Goals (IPSGs) - wrong-site surgery prevention, medication safety, fall prevention, infection control
• Surgical care standards including pre-operative marking and surgical timeout protocols
• Infection prevention and control programs
• Credentialing and privileging of all clinical staff
• Patient rights and ethical standards
• Quality improvement and adverse event reporting systems

Additional Acules requirements include: board-certified surgeons, active international patient departments, English-speaking staff, current malpractice coverage, and documented outcome tracking. See our Clinical Review page.

Throughout your medical travel, Acules provides the following protections:

• Coordinator contact: Your dedicated coordinator is available 24/7 during your travel and procedure period for any questions, concerns, or emergencies.
• Emergency protocol: In the event of a medical emergency, your coordinator coordinates with the hospital, contacts your emergency contact, and assists with any logistics. Medical evacuation is handled by your travel insurance provider.
• Discharge planning: Your coordinator confirms your discharge plan with the hospital and arranges accommodation until you are cleared to fly.
• Documentation: The hospital provides a complete discharge summary in English, including the operative report, post-operative instructions, and follow-up care recommendations.

After returning home, patients should:

• Follow up with your home physician:Share the hospital's discharge summary and operative report. Your physician should review your recovery and manage any ongoing care needs.
• Complete Acules outcome check-ins:Respond to Acules' 30, 60, and 90-day outcome surveys. These help us monitor your recovery and identify any concerns that require attention.
• Contact your coordinator with concerns: If you experience unexpected symptoms or complications after returning home, contact your Acules coordinator immediately. We will coordinate with the treating hospital and can assist in connecting you with local care.

Acules maintains the following platform-level risk management standards:

• No hospital admission without current JCI accreditation
• Annual re-verification of all partner hospitals
• Continuous outcome and complication rate monitoring
• Mandatory adverse event review for any Acules-referred patient
• Clinical Advisory Board oversight of network quality standards
• Coordinator training on medical travel risk identification and escalation