ITIC MEA 2025 | Cross-border medical assistance cultural awareness and training

The ITIJ team are reporting live from ITIC MEA 2025 in Marrakech. Read all the reports here

Waseem El Tanahi, Business Development Director, CONNEX Assistance

Following an introduction to CONNEX Assistance as a company, El-Tanahi was keen to highlight what we mean when we say ‘cultural awareness’ – which includes a sensitivity towards diverse practices, an understanding of values and customs, and recognition of different beliefs and behaviours. Addressing why cultural awareness matters so much in our particular business – that of providing international healthcare services – El-Tanahi said that “it is not just good to have – it is strategically important for success. It improves relationships and builds trust with the patient, resulting in better feedback, and improves relationships and builds trust with providers, resulting in unlocking new markets and building competitive advantages,” he told attendees.

A key way of preparing for serving multinational clients and companies is having the right team in place – so having a multilingual staff who offer linguistic and cultural flexibility is important. And there needs to be flexibility in this and an adaptability to what clients are demanding – for example CONNEX doesn’t have a Japanese speaker available 24/7 now as there simply isn’t the demand. Having the right staff can also mean employing those with dual citizenship, with the ability to secure multiple visas fast, which can be especially valuable.

Listing some key dos and don’ts, El-Tanahi encouraged the audience to practice active listening, educate themselves, and correct mistakes gracefully. Don’t make assumptions or stereotype your customers/patients, and don’t be dismissive or judgemental.

El-Tanahi then shared some examples of how cultural differences can negatively affect a patient’s experience, resulting in frustration and dissatisfaction through a lack of understanding about local cultural norms, such as separate waiting rooms for male and female hospital visitors in Saudi Arabia, or no medical reports from a Muslim country during the daytime during Ramadan. By learning, communicating and adapting properly to new situations, the industry can serve patients more effectively and improve their experience. “By preparing teams for global challenges, we can provide efficient assistance and culturally appropriate care,” he concluded.

Elena Rethorn, International Business Affairs Consultant, Healthcare International Group

Rethorn’s presentation focused on how cultural awareness can enhance the healthcare experience. She started by addressing the concerns that medical assistance companies not used to operating in MEA may have when working with healthcare providers, including relationship management between medical professionals and laypeople. She advised training both types of personnel through workshops, online courses and simulation exercises to improve understanding. She also made a very important point about the value that ‘laypeople’ have in the patient experience – from the front desk to the translators and back-office employees – every member of staff in the healthcare delivery chain is essential. And all should be trained in cultural awareness.

Next, looking at the challenge of many healthcare providers preferring to be paid in US dollars, Rethorn pointed out that the dollar has a higher purchasing power for international transactions, and when being paid in US dollars, there is a better staff attraction and retention rate. Using the dollar as a preferred currency is also market practice, especially in high tourist traffic areas where multiple currencies are used by the patients and insurers.

Rethorn also referenced the challenge faced by medical assistance providers in that tourists are forever reaching out to more remote locations for more extreme activities. “We as medical professionals need to expand, and ensure we have partners locally that allow us to serve customers in these new regions,” she urged the audience.

Another issue unique to international medical assistance provision can be specific restrictions placed on certain medications, or tourists losing their medication during their travel – whether through baggage loss, or through authorities taking medication that isn’t allowed into a country. Solutions need to be found by the medical assistance company, said Rethorn. She then shared case studies that illustrated the challenges and successes faced in these situations, highlighting the need for communication and flexibility in the provision of customer and patient services.

Communication, concluded Rethorn, is the key to successful cross-border medical assistance. “Understanding cultural differences can significantly impact patient care and communication, ultimately influencing health outcomes,” she concluded.