Medical tourism offers alternatives for patients, but not without potential risks for themselves and their Canadian physicians.
Published: July 2023
The information in this article was correct at the time of publishing
Medical tourism refers to patients travelling abroad to obtain medical services. Canadians may engage in medical tourism as an alternative to lengthy wait lists, or to obtain treatment that may not be covered by their provincial or territorial health plan, or to undergo procedures that may be unavailable domestically. Patients may choose to travel abroad for a wide range of medical services including cosmetic procedures, diagnostic examinations, organ transplants, in vitro fertilization, cancer and neurologic therapies, and bariatric surgery. 1
Medical tourism can have an impact on patient safety. It may also raise potential medico-legal issues for Canadian physicians and bring unexpected challenges when patients return to Canada for follow-up care.
Physicians should respect patients’ autonomy in seeking out-of-country procedures and other decisions regarding their healthcare. When there is an existing doctor-patient relationship, the physician is obligated to provide reasonable care, irrespective of where the patient intends to seek the treatment or has previously received treatment.
If a patient chooses a treatment that will be administered outside of Canada or requests a referral to an out-of-country specialist, consider the following:
If you are involved with a patient who seeks out-of-country care, this may create a duty of care and thus include you in the coordination of care. If the patient experiences poor health outcomes as a result of the treatment, you may be exposed to the risk of a legal action being brought outside of Canada. This could raise questions about your eligibility for CMPA assistance. Owing to the way the CMPA is structured, the CMPA does not generally assist with legal actions commenced outside of Canada.
Patients who return home following out-of-country procedures are likely to seek continued care from their Canadian physicians. The goal remains to provide continuity of care to the extent possible. Existing doctor-patient relationships generally remain in place, together with the duty of care that obliges physicians to appropriately treat patients in accordance with accepted standards of practice in Canada.
After the patient returns to Canada:
This article is intended to address situations where a patient chooses to pursue care outside of Canada. This must be distinguished from situations where a provincial/territorial government requires a patient to be sent outside of Canada for care that cannot be provided in Canada (often owing to a lack of resources). Members are encouraged to contact the CMPA for advice in these latter situations.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this learning material is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific professional medical or legal advice, nor to constitute a "standard of care" for Canadian healthcare professionals. The use of CMPA learning resources is subject to the foregoing as well as the CMPA's Terms of Use.
