Location: Charleston SC
Case summary: A non-U.S. crewmember reported to Captain with a complaint of abdominal pain, right lower quadrant, and presented with elevated temperature, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. He was taken to an urgent care center in the U.S. and subsequently transferred to the hospital and diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Crewmember underwent a successful emergency appendectomy, discharged to a local hotel two days later and repatriated two days thereafter.
Future Care’s medical case manager was notified of the incident shortly after hospital admission. She immediately made contact with the hospital treatment and crewman and developed a treatment plan for the U.S. hospitalization, repatriation and convalescence in the crewman’s home country.
Case management activities included liaising with the U.S. treatment team, crewman and family; coordinating the crewman’s discharge from the hospital to local hotel; managing repatriation arrangements including Fit for Travel and related certifications; coordinate treatment and medications in home country; develop plan for medical oversight and return to Fit for Duty status in home country; collect and review all medical records and provide to crewman and shipowner; and arrange for Future Care audit review and billing negotiation with all providers, among other activities.
Estimated Savings through Future Care Intervention: The shipowner avoided the expense of protracted medical treatment in the U.S. Future Care’s medical case manager expedited treatment, recovery and a return to work with consequent financial savings.
