Travel Plans Gone Awry? How to Improve Pretravel Consultations!
Traveling is an exciting venture, but it can also expose individuals to a myriad of health risks, especially when plans don't go as expected. A recent study titled Pretravel plans and discrepant trip experiences among travelers attending a tertiary care centre family travel medicine clinic sheds light on the importance of pretravel consultations (PC) and how they can be improved to better prepare travelers for unexpected changes in their itineraries.
Understanding Discrepant Trip Experiences
The study conducted at the SickKids Family Travel Clinic found that a staggering 92% of travelers reported discrepancies between their planned itineraries and actual travel experiences. These discrepancies often altered the travelers' health risks, suggesting that broader counseling during PCs could be beneficial.
Discrepancies were most commonly related to:
- Trip duration
- Countries visited
- Accommodations
- Environmental surroundings
- Activities undertaken
Why Broader Counseling is Key
Given the frequency of these discrepancies, clinicians should consider offering more comprehensive counseling during PCs. This could involve discussing potential changes in travel plans and preparing travelers for a wider range of scenarios. For instance, if a traveler plans to visit urban areas but ends up in rural or jungle environments, the health risks could significantly change, necessitating different precautions or medications.
Implementing Research Outcomes
As a practitioner, you can enhance your skills by implementing the following strategies based on the study's findings:
- Comprehensive Risk Assessment: During the PC, assess not only the planned itinerary but also potential changes that could occur. Discuss alternative scenarios and the associated health risks.
- Flexible Counseling: Provide advice that covers a range of possible environments and activities, ensuring travelers are prepared for unexpected changes.
- Encourage Post-Travel Feedback: Follow up with travelers post-trip to gather data on their actual experiences. This feedback can help refine future counseling sessions.
Encouraging Further Research
While this study provides valuable insights, there is still much to learn about the dynamics of travel-related health risks. Encouraging further research in this area can lead to more effective PCs and healthier travel experiences. Consider collaborating with other professionals or institutions to explore this topic further.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Pretravel plans and discrepant trip experiences among travelers attending a tertiary care centre family travel medicine clinic.
