Handover between health systems
Nobody owns the handover between two countries. If you do not manage it, it does not happen.
Global Medical Base
A working reference for care across borders
Global Medical Base is a reference for patients and families arranging medical care outside their own country: how systems differ, what accreditation means, what records travel with you and what a bill really contains.
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Common legal and administrative topics
Latest articles
Guides updated to current Vietnamese law
Managing a chronic condition across two countries
People who split their time between countries face a specific problem: two teams, neither in charge.
Follow-up after treatment abroad
The procedure ends when you leave. The treatment does not.
Building a relationship with a new primary care doctor
Primary care is the part of the system that knows you over time. Rebuilding it takes deliberate effort.
Screening and preventive care when you move
Recall systems do not follow you. Screening you were due for simply stops happening.
Planning a treatment trip: the timeline
Most problems with treatment abroad come from compressing the timeline, not from the medicine.
Travelling with medicines and medical equipment
Prescribed medicines have led to detentions. The rules are knowable and worth checking.
Recovering in an unfamiliar country
The medical part usually goes to plan. The two weeks afterwards are what people underestimate.
Visas, permits and the administrative layer
Administrative refusal is a more common obstacle to treatment abroad than clinical refusal.
Using interpreters and communicating across languages
A family member who speaks the language is not the same as a professional interpreter.
Bringing someone with you: the companion role
The most useful thing a companion does is make the call when the patient hesitates.
Tools
See all βΊ
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Glossary
Look up the words that appear on medical paperwork and lab reports.
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Lab tests
What each test measures, how to prepare, and both unit systems.
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Imaging
What each technique shows, what it cannot show, how to prepare, what to declare.
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Specialties
What each specialty covers, who is referred there, and what it does NOT cover.
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Symptoms
Which specialty, red flags, what you will be asked, what to bring.
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Medicines
What each group does, what to watch, how stopping works. No doses, no brand names.
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Going abroad
Language, documents, payment, the carer and follow-up at home β by destination.
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Health checks
Twelve age groups, five areas each, with questions to take along.
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Health log
Log blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, SpOβ and more, then see the trend across weeks.
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Vaccination record
Record doses per person, print a card with English names so it reads abroad.
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Health card
Allergies, medicines, implants, insurance β printable, and printable in English.
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Diary
Track several symptoms, a 60-day strip, and a summary to take along.
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Units
Convert between mg/dL and mmol/L for results from abroad.
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BMI
Work out BMI and waist-to-height ratio.
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Budget
Add up the costs of treatment away from home, with a buffer.
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Follow-up
Turn weeks into actual dates so you can set reminders.
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Checklists
Six situations: first visit, follow-up, travel, going abroad, admission, urgent trip.
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