Lebanon, N.H. – March 6, 2023 – One-out-of-four international travelers needs hospitalization or medical attention during travel but nearly half of them do not obtain a pre-travel health screening, and fewer do any research about the quality of medical care at their destination beforehand, according to the Global Rescue Winter 2023 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey. 

According to the Merck Manuals, when it comes to foreign travel, about 1 in 30 people traveling abroad require emergency care. That percentage is higher among the world’s most experienced travelers. According to the survey, one out of four (24%) revealed that they needed hospitalization or medical attention during travel.  

Unfortunately, only about a third (38%) of surveyed travelers researched the quality of medical care at their destination before traveling abroad. The balance (62%) did not do any research in advance. 

“In today’s travel landscape, you may not want to travel to any destination where the level of medical care isn’t up to your standards unless you have medical evacuation services. It puts you, your health and your trip at risk,” said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue.  

“Hospital layouts differ. The medication might not look the same. Some hospitals use IVs with glass bottles instead of plastic bags. Triage may be done differently than it is in the United States,” said Jeff Weinstein, medical operations associate manager at Global Rescue.  

“Travelers should obtain destination reports covering everything from travel health and personal security advice to currency and common scams before taking a trip, especially to a foreign country,” Richards added.  

More than half (54%) of the world’s most experienced travelers surveyed by Global Rescue said they obtain a pre-travel health consultation with a physician to discuss their itinerary, pre-existing conditions, a medications list and any health concerns they may have to decrease medical risks during travel.  

That’s nearly two times better than the average, according to Mass General Brigham that reported 30 million travelers visited limited-resource countries overseas, but only 25 to 30% sought medical advice before they went.  

“Certain health conditions and medications can increase your health risks during travel and these risks will vary by destination, activities and mode of travel,” Weinstein said.  

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Contact Bill McIntyre at bmcintyre@globalrescue.com or 202.560.1195 (phone/text) for more information.       

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey        

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, conducted a survey of more than 2,000 of its current and former members between January 30 and February 4, 2023. The respondents exposed a range of behaviors, attitudes and preferences regarding international and domestic travel.      

About Global Rescue        

Global Rescue is the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services to enterprises, governments and individuals. Founded in 2004, Global Rescue has exclusive relationships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations and Elite Medical Group. Global Rescue provides best-in-class services that identify, monitor and respond to client medical and security crises. Global Rescue has provided medical and security support to its clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments and academic institutions, during every globally significant crisis of the last two decades. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.