School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations
Bridging the Gap: Caring for the Injured Worker Abroad
Poster Number
250
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
3-2016
Abstract
As corporations expand and establish themselves on foreign soil, the number of U.S. employees traveling abroad has grown exponentially. Traveling is inherently risky. Illness and injury abroad pose a significant threat to the productivity of an enterprise, as well as continuity of care for the employee. In this project, the status quo of corporate travel medicine was reviewed and novel solutions to current challenges were addressed.
To gain insight into this largely secretive industry several strategies were utilized. Due to the scarcity of academic articles published on this subject matter, information was gathered from insurance company websites, articles published in insurance magazines, travel assistance company resources and various newspaper articles. The most significant contribution came from conversations with Dr. Christopher Lang, a board certified emergency physician with more than 15 years experience in the travel medicine industry.
Based on the research findings, we conclude that the current paradigm for caring for the injured worker abroad is contingent upon dozens of factors including, but not limited to, the insurance provider, the nature of the injury and the geographic location. We also identified several areas of this industry that could be improved upon.
Corporate travel medicine is a largely unexplored topic within academic circles. Our research provides insight into this industry and provides medically oriented travel suggestions for employers and employees. It is our hope that these conclusions will contribute to the quality and continuity of care for those traveling abroad.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Open Access
1
Bridging the Gap: Caring for the Injured Worker Abroad
As corporations expand and establish themselves on foreign soil, the number of U.S. employees traveling abroad has grown exponentially. Traveling is inherently risky. Illness and injury abroad pose a significant threat to the productivity of an enterprise, as well as continuity of care for the employee. In this project, the status quo of corporate travel medicine was reviewed and novel solutions to current challenges were addressed.
To gain insight into this largely secretive industry several strategies were utilized. Due to the scarcity of academic articles published on this subject matter, information was gathered from insurance company websites, articles published in insurance magazines, travel assistance company resources and various newspaper articles. The most significant contribution came from conversations with Dr. Christopher Lang, a board certified emergency physician with more than 15 years experience in the travel medicine industry.
Based on the research findings, we conclude that the current paradigm for caring for the injured worker abroad is contingent upon dozens of factors including, but not limited to, the insurance provider, the nature of the injury and the geographic location. We also identified several areas of this industry that could be improved upon.
Corporate travel medicine is a largely unexplored topic within academic circles. Our research provides insight into this industry and provides medically oriented travel suggestions for employers and employees. It is our hope that these conclusions will contribute to the quality and continuity of care for those traveling abroad.
Comments
Presented at: GW Research Days 2016