Medical services FAQ – iMER Medical Referral and Medical Plan

iMER - International Medical Evaluation and Referral

Contacting iMER, the “iMER process” and Logistics issues

When you contact iMER, we begin the process of collecting medical information, evaluating your condition and building the best available treatment for you. Here you will find detailed information on how we work.

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How do I contact iMER?

	7 x 24 hot line Please call us, any time of day or night: +972 50 40 48 48 0 We are waiting your call.
	Cyprus: Phone: +357 22763001 Fax: +357 22872323 Cyprus 7x24 hotline: +357 7000 IMER
	Israel: Phone: +972 2 677 7294 Fax: +972 2 644 7487
	Russia: Phone: 810-800-20472972
	Other places in Europe: Phone: +41 44 58 67 795
	e-Mail: info@imer.biz Or just click here.
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Once I contact iMER, what is the procedure?

	Initial interaction
	As soon as you get in touch with us, an initial contact will be established, to verify your needs and explain the procedures, how to collect the information necessary for medical evaluations and how to begin all necessary steps for your treatment.
	Beginning of patient information collection
	Medical information is sent via
	Internet Fax Courier Direct Tele-Radiology, Tele-EKG link Video-conference
	Additional evaluation procedures (if needed)
	Our super-specialists medical experts will instruct you as to which additional tests and information may be required for them to complete the evaluation.
	Medical plan
	Diagnosis / Second Opinion The plan includes all the procedures necessary to solve the problem, based on the information provided Selection of best medical center to solve the particular problem
	Patient’s approval of Medical plan
	After you confirm that you are interested in executing the Medical Plan we will prepare a quote for you. Don't worry - wWe will not do anything without you express explicit approval.
	Patient’s approval of Quote
	We will prepare a Qquote for you detailing all costs, optional costs that cover travel and medical aspects of your plan. An iMER representative will call you, explain the quote to you, and answer all your questions. At this time, you will be requested to commit to the plan, so we can move forward to execution phase!
	Setting dates for recommended procedures/treatment
	After we have your financial commitment, we will set the appointments needed to execute your medical plan including booking the operation theatre, surgeons, and anesthetists. We will coordinate these dates with you so they match your constraints and preferences.
	Travel – Medical Transportation
	iMER will help you get necessary traveling documents Air Ambulance if needed iMER Airport Express service (we will pick you up at the air plane) iMER will make the necessary hotel reservations, according to your needs.
	Arrival – Medical Local transport Services
	Among the different iMER Services, we propose
	iMER Airport Express
	Pick up at the airplane Helping you through Passport control iMER coordinator speaking your language
	Transportation to your hotel
	iMER Coordinator Services
	iMER coordinators speak your home language iMER coordinators will escort you to your medical interviews and procedures iMER coordinator will assist you, translate for you and be present (at your request) during the medical interviews and procedures. iMER medical team will be available at the end of the process to give you any complementary information.
	Mobile phone
	iMER will provide you with a local mobile telephone during your stay, including convenient rates for communication abroad.
	Medical Procedures
	We will implement the treatment according to the approved Medical plan and schedule.
	Additional Medical Procedures
	In the event that additional medical procedures are recommended, iMER will submit the updated Medical Plan and budget for your approval, before (if possible) any such additional procedure is performed.
	Departure
	Convalescence period
	iMER can help you organize convalescence period activities, to enhance your stay. iMER will coordinate follow-up check-ups and procedures as required. the iMER Coordinator will escort you to the airport. iMER will provide you with a full Medical Dossier, for your personal doctors, or further treatment.
	What is included in iMER Patient Coordinator service and in iMER Airport Express Services?
	IMER contact person to receive you at the plane Help through passport control Assistance with personal baggage Private transportation to the hotel Hotel reservations to meet any budget Pre-arranged hotel check-in Continuous escorting and language translation assistance at hospital or clinic as needed Local cell phone. iMER provides you with a local cell phone, to allow you to contact your iMER Coordinator at anytime, day or night. This cell phone makes possible for your relatives to be in contact with you, with no additional charges for incoming calls and low international rates for you to contact them. Special dietary menus at the medical center if required Reliable child care if you are coming to Israel with children Daily check-in by your iMER Coordinator during your recuperation period Professional emotional help and support for the patient and his family throughout the medical process. Provision of complementary medical information, in accessible language if needed, directly by the iMER medical team. Provision of full medical file with all relevant data. Assistance with local tour and excursion arrangements Information about local culture and customs of destination Assurance that you are comfortable and content at all times Escort to airport for departure Assistance with baggage check-in upon departure Arranging for airport medical assistance upon departure Wheelchairs, baby carriages, crutches can be provided as necessary.
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How long will I have to wait before I get the approved Medical plan?

	In general the answer to this question is – “… we can start right now! ...” We are proud to be able to provide the fastest and most efficient service available. Due to our size and organization, there are almost no delays in beginning medical procedures In most cases, the longest delay is the collecting medical information and obtaining the patient’s approval All administrative procedures can be usually performed within a couple of hours! Once the medical procedures begin, iMER patients are given the highest priority possible. Only Medical Emergencies or Extreme Conditions can interfere with the scheduled Medical Plan

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How long will the procedure take?

	This depends on the case and the nature of the procedure. It is very hard to predict the length of a medical procedure and we always recommend our patients give the medical team the comfort of working with no time constrains.
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What is our Medical assessment?

	The iMER Medical assessment begins with a review of the previous medical history and available medical information on the patient. Our super-specialists may agree (or not - our statistics shows this happens in some 30% of the cases!) with the previous medical evaluations, and their evaluation will be the basis to formulate a detailed medical plan.
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What does “Medical referral” and “Medical Plan” mean?

	Medical Referral
	Whenever a patient contacts iMER, our specialists begin reviewing the new case. The iMER medical director or any other iMER doctor on duty, begins a first evaluation of the case using iPMS™ (iMER Patient Management System) our web-based “virtual hospital” software application. The case is then referred, if necessary, to super-specialist medical experts for their diagnosis of the different aspects of the case. The experts use our iPMS™ and its sophisticated functionality, to analyze the case and consult if possible with the local physician. As soon as those super-specialists return their partial evaluations, an overall evaluation is made, deciding where in the world and who can best solve the patient’s case. With this data, a medical plan is established. iMER is not bound to a particular medical institution. When our specialists may consider so, they will propose referring the case to the best equipped clinic that will solve the patient’s case, from a holistic point of view. iMER’s ultimate objective is to solve the patient’s problem. We will go anywhere on the surface of the Earth, in order to get the most optimized solution. This is our job! This is our mission in life. This process of selecting the best institution to solve the patient’s problem, according to his needs and in an affordable way is what we call the iMER Medical Referral.
	Medical Plan
	The iMER Medical Plan is the final result of our Medical Evaluation process: Once a firm diagnosis has been confirmed, a complete sequential listing of preparatory steps and all procedures necessary to solve the case can be implemented. This set of procedures is our Medical Plan: The complete road to health! This is the iMER expertise. The Medical Plan serves as the basis for iMER's Quote to the customer. You will know in advance exactly which procedures, at what cost, you will have to undergo. Once the iMER Medical Plan and Quote are approved by the patient, we can begin scheduling and implementing the set up and the healing procedures.
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The preparation process

	We begin by collecting and providing iMER specialists the necessary medical information on the case, and then: Getting the results of the additional tests the specialist may require Approving the Medical Plan and Quote, as soon as received. Provide the required funding, as per iMER’s Quote. Provide all traveling documents required. Plan and schedule transportation
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What does it mean “Tele-Medicine”?

“Tele-Medicine” is a name for the technology that enable iMER medical experts to analyze a patient on a remote basis (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemedicine ).
iMER has implemented a series of technologies and capabilities that enable us to perform long distance evaluations and conferencing with the patient’s local medical professionals, de facto beginning the coverage of the case while the patient is still abroad.
Tele-radiology – enables the iMER medical team to actually link to a remote radiology department and analyze any patient radiology image available.
Video-Conference - enables the iMER medical team to get a first hand impression of a patient and discuss his condition with his physician on a real time basis.
Tele-EKG - enables the iMER medical team to receive any EKG report on a remote real time basis.
In these conferences and interactions we may suggest the best way to prepare and treat the patient, before he/she arrives at the final institution where he will be treated.

What is “emergency air evacuation” and Medical evacuation?

	iMER can provide you with an “emergency air evacuation”. Air evacuation is a very complex operation which involves:
	Hand shake between the medical team at patient location to the team at the destination. Logistics preparation Planning the flying route. Definning and planning the optimized air ambulance per the specific flying route. Preparing a flying team and an escorting medical team. Our Air Ambulance service can meet you at the airport nearest to your location. iMER will coordinate a fully equipped road ambulance to bring you to the airport and in parallel, We will help you get the necessary traveling documents
	This means that within hours of your initial request, your approval of the Medical Plan, getting visas and funding, you will meet with our specialists and begin treatment.
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Special issues to consider while travelling for medical treatment

	Why shall I travel to seek Medical treatment?
	Many times, traveling is the best solution to:
	Find the most advanced medical treatment, not available near your location. Get better overall price/performance – iMER can optimize the required medical process for you as well as the total cost of the process. Reduce Waiting Lists and access treatment in an effective time Coordinate a process in which specialists from various countries will meet in another location to manage your problem. Overcome regulation issues. Find experimental protocol not implemented in many centers around the globe.
	Destination country particular customs and cultural differences
	Before arriving in a foreign country in order to have medical treatment, it is convenient to learn about the country’s particular customs and cultural differences. iMER team will provide you with lots of pertinent information about the country and site of your treatment, for you to begin to understand the local customs.
	Israel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel
	Austria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria
	The United Kingdom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom
	Switzerland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland
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