Insights into needs of business travelers to China from calls to a medical assistance provider

BACKGROUND: Although 17.5% of German travelers were business travelers in the years 2011–2013, little is known about their pathologies. Recent publications indicate that infections are the primary health issue in general travelers. Our aim was to investigate whether business travelers from Germany to China also primarily suffer from infections. METHODS: From 2011 to 2013, 587 calls for service of German business travelers to China were collected by a medical assistance provider. 482 of these calls were evaluated regarding demographics, reported diseases and conditions and the type of service provided by the medical assistance company. RESULTS: The most common reasons for calls for service were “factors influencing health status and contact with health service” (18.8%), “injury and poisoning” (16.0%) as well as “symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions” (13.7%). Most patients asked for “medical advice” (37.8%), referral to “outpatient care” (25.1%) or “inpatient care” (16.6%). “Evacuation and/or repatriation” was required mainly due to “injury and poisoning” (n = 12), “diseases of the circulatory system” (n = 5) or “mental disorders” (n = 3). CONCLUSION: German business travelers to China are seeking primarily administrative support from a medical assistance provider and are mostly affected by non-infectious diseases. Pre-travel preparation of such travelers need to place more emphasis on non-communicable health risks and prevention.