Travel Clinics in Québec (Canada)

Abstract

To continuously improve its assistance to Québec travel health providers, the Québec Advisory Committee on Travel Health conducted an exploratory and descriptive survey of dedicated travel clinics in Québec (Canada). During autumn 2003, a cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out among the 97 travel health clinics listed in Québec. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire sent by mail. The response rate was 94%. More than three quarters of travel clinics in Québec are located in community health centers; the others are in private clinics and in hospitals. Although 80% of the clinics are located outside the most densely inhabited regions of Québec, they carry out less than 30% of the total number of pretravel consultations. Almost 60% of the clinics have fewer than 500 consultations a year. Overall, more than 114,000 travel health consultations are performed annually in Québec travel health clinics. Preventive services to travelers, including the most commonly used vaccines for travelers, are available in all regions of Québec, except in the northernmost region. Smaller clinics offer fewer services to travelers in terms of antimalarial prescriptions, less common vaccines, and post-travel consultations. The main sources of information for travel health practitioners are guidelines provided by public health authorities. Data obtained provide an up-to-date portrait of the services available in travel clinics in Québec that should assist public health authorities adapt their interventions to the needs and realities of these clinics.

Pre-travel health advice for human immunodeficiency virus-infected travelers, from Rio de Janeiro

“…It is quite clear, however, that travel clinics can only be effective if travelers use them. In Quebec, Canada, there are almost a hundred travel health clinics offering preventive services to travelers for a population of around seven million, but only around 15% of Quebecois travelers who are at risk consult a travel clinic 16 . One study conducted in London found that just 11 HIV-infected individuals sought pre-travel medical consultations 3 and another study in the USA found that only one HIV-infected patient consulted a travel medicine expert before traveling 11 .…”

Travel medicine and HIV infection

“…In Québec, Canada, there are almost a 100 travel health clinics offering preventive services to travellers for a population around seven million and just about 15% of Québec travellers at risk consult a travel clinic. 9 One study performed in London found that just 11 HIV-infected persons sought pre-travel medical consultation 10 and another one in the USA found that only one HIV-infected patient consulted a travel medicine expert before travel. 11 Experts generally bemoan the low attendance rates in travel clinics and many strategies have been suggested to increase frequency of pre-travel consultation 8 Although many clinicians attending HIV-infected patients are specialists in infectious and parasitic diseases some of them may not feel able to advise a traveller.…”