The Business of Patient Delight

"Most Japanese are humble," says John Wocher, the American ex-patriot who is now one of the head administrators at Kameda. "Well, I'm the exception."

Picture a large Texan used-car salesman, add a degree in Health Care Administration, and you might get a glimpse of John Wocher. He was stationed here in the navy 20 years ago, married a local woman, and has since worked to put Kameda on the medical tourism map. Medical tourism, you ask? Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

Last Thursday, John Wocher gave a tour of the Kameda clinic and hospital to myself and the visiting dignitaries - Dr. Harris, president of the American College of Physicians, and his wife Sealy. "Every room has an ocean view," our guide informed us. And every room also has a computer - soon to be wide-screen plasma tvs - where you can, of course, watch tv, but you can also order room service, do some online shopping from the stores downstairs, or research medical information. If you pay for the super suite, you get a master-sized bathroom with a hot tub overlooking the ocean. There is even - no joke - a pet shop (not PET), where your dog or cat can be groomed and cared for during your stay. "We're not in the business of patient satisfaction," John Wocher delivered the line with a smile, "we're in the business of patient delight."


Of course, not every patient gets this treatment. You have to pay extra for these rooms. But they are apparently quite popular and often stay full. Can you believe - Medicare will even pay for these foreign beach-resort hospitals because it costs less, just like producing a t-shirt or a toy costs less in China or Thailand than in America. It's an interesting concept - patient care as a commodity.

Some things I really liked: The lobbies all have computer portals where patients can access their electronic medical record. In the clinics, rooms have two computer screens side by side so that the patient can see what the doctor is entering into their record. Cell phones are encouraged, and there are no limitations on visiting hours - "We're living in an age of communication."

Some things seem like a harmless way to generate some extra income for the hospital: in the NICU, for only $10, you can watch your baby on a webcam 24/7 from the comfort of your home and know that he/she is safe even if they cannot come home. And in labor and delivery, there is well-placed lighting and a camera installed in the ceiling to snap a professional photograph of the happy family after the birth.

Birthing suite

And then some things made me a little uneasy: for instance, Kameda (and much of Japan) offers elective PET scans (not pet). A very beautiful, but very expensive piece of technology. I wonder, at what point does the attempt to make medical information accessible and patient-oriented become a misuse of medical technology?

CORRECTION: There are no photos sold in the birthing suite. They will help a family set up a video camera if needed, and every mother receives a coupon for a champagne candlelight dinner on the 13th floor restaurant, redeemable within a year.