According to the Travel Medicine journal, medical care on cruise ships is designed to offer the same type and level of care as urgent care clinics or emergency rooms. When a patient requires a higher level of care, cruise medical case management can be a lifesaver.
With cruise medical case management, medical case managers consult with a ship's medical team when a passenger needs a higher level of care than the ship's infirmary can provide. Medical case managers can determine if appropriate care is available for a passenger at a nearby port if an evacuation is needed.
Medical Care on Cruise Ships: What to Expect
The level of medical care available on a cruise ship depends on the size of the ship and its passenger capacity. According to American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) guidelines, cruise ships that carry more than 100 passengers should have infirmaries equipped with wheelchairs, a stretcher, lab capabilities, oxygen, EKG machines, two defibrillators, cardiac monitors, and a backboard for spine immobilizations.
Cruise ship infirmaries generally have set hours for patient care. Large cruise ships also typically have pharmacies and an on-call team of nurses and doctors for medical emergencies.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, cruise ship passengers most often visited infirmaries for gastrointestinal illnesses and upper respiratory infections. Like coronavirus, respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses can spread rapidly in densely populated, semi-closed environments.
COVID-19 Concerns
Although most cruise lines have resumed travel, COVID-19 remains a concern for cruise ship passengers. In fact, the U.S. Department of State recommends against cruise ship travel for people who aren't vaccinated or who are at risk of severe illness. To keep travelers and their employees safe, many cruise lines require proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding.
In the early days of the pandemic, many cruise ships evacuated their passengers after experiencing outbreaks of the virus onboard. Today, the State Department warns travelers not to count on reparation flights if their cruise ship is evacuated for COVID-19 concerns.
When Cruise Medical Case Management Becomes Important
When a patient needs care beyond what a ship infirmary can provide, cruise medical case management becomes important. Some traveler insurance companies, including Allianz Travel, count on SentinelMED to provide cruise medical case management services. Our team of medical experts is called in to determine if:
The passenger's needs can be appropriately addressed at a nearby port. Our cruise medical case management team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to consult on patient care. They work with a ship's medical staff to review a patient's treatment record and determine if appropriate care is available at a nearby port.
Our medical case management team is trained or experienced in emergency medicine, travel medicine, and logistics. With decades of experience in these fields, they can quickly assess if appropriate care for a passenger is available at a nearby port. Our logistics team can then arrange medical transport to a nearby medical facility if such support is needed or requested.
The passenger's medical condition requires medical evacuation. According to one study, the most common reasons passengers are medically evacuated from cruise ships are for cardiac, neurologic, and digestive conditions that require internal medical or surgical treatment. For example, a passenger who is experiencing a stroke may receive emergency care in the infirmary but require evacuation to obtain additional testing and rehabilitative care.
Depending on a passenger's medical needs and family input, SentinelMED's case managers can determine when the patient is stable enough to travel. They also can recommend the mode of travel that is most appropriate for the patient's medical needs and comfort. In many cases, travelers can be transported on commercial airlines with the support of a medical escort. This can be a cost-effective and convenient alternative to air ambulance services that use helicopters and private or semi-private jets.
About SentinelMED
Cruise medical case management is just one of the many services offered by SentinelMED. Our team specializes in arranging and providing medical transport, medical repatriation, and medical escort services to people who need assistance to travel long distances.
The SentinelMED team is skilled at arranging transport for patients anywhere in the world. Our logistics professionals also work closely with hospital case managers, patients, and their families to provide safe and comfortable door-to-door transportation. They handle end-to-end travel planning, including arranging for a medical escort to accompany the patient when needed.
At SentinelMED, we understand the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
