Safety advice for travelers from New Zealand

Accidents and injuries are important preventable causes of morbidity and mortality for travelers. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of advice given by general practitioners (GPs) on personal safety, health and travel insurance, and finding medical assistance abroad in the event of misadventure or ill health.

Four hundred general practitioners were randomly selected from the register of the New Zealand Medical Council and sent self-administered questionnaires. Two reminders were sent.

Three hundred and thirty-two (83%) GPs responded. Advice to travelers on health and travel insurance (164/273, 60%), personal safety (127/255, 50%), and finding medical assistance abroad (165/308, 54%) was given by half or just over half of GPs. Giving advice on medical assistance abroad was significantly associated with giving advice on health and travel insurance (x2 = 18.89, df = 1, p<.001) and personal safety (x2 = 25.26, df = 1, p<.001). Seeing a higher proportion of patients who were travelers was significantly associated with giving advice on health and travel insurance (t-value = -3.39, df = 267, p = .001) and personal safety abroad (t-value = -2.63, df = 249, p < .01). Those GPs with previous experience in tropical medicine/developing countries were significantly more likely to advise travelers on personal safety abroad (x2 = 6.55, df = 1, p<.05) and about seeking medical assistance abroad (x2 = 4.11, df = 1, p<.05). Those GPs in older age groups (45-49 years and over) were significantly more likely to advise travelers on health and travel insurance (x2 = 16. 31, df = 8, p<.05) and personal safety abroad (x2 = 19.88, df = 8, p<.05). Those GPs with an interest in travel medicine were significantly more likely to advise travelers about seeking medical assistance abroad (x2 = 11.07, df = 1, p<.001) and health and travel insurance (x2 = 16.31, df = 8, p<.05). When advising travelers about seeking medical assistance abroad, GPs most commonly recommended contacting travel insurance companies (60/308, 19%), a specific medical service (48/308, 16%), tour company (30/308, 10%), specific doctor (29/308, 9%), New Zealand embassy (27/308, 9%), local medical service (23/307, 7%), personal contact (21/307, 7%), and other sources (12/307, 4%).

This cross-sectional study found that only around half of New Zealand GPs were giving advice to travelers on personal safety, health and travel insurance, and finding medical assistance abroad. Continuing education providers should reinforce the need for this advice to be given to all travelers. There was also considerable variability in what New Zealand GPs recommended to travelers about seeking medical assistance abroad, including several nonmedical sources.