Destination HealthCare™ Outcomes Exceed U.S. in Stroke Rehabilitation Outcomes

Online, July 22, 2010 (Newswire.com) - China Connection Global Healthcare ("CCGH") today released its 2010 Destination HealthCare stroke rehabilitation outcome report. The report highlights medical progress made by stroke survivors at the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University and compares them with outcomes reported by the American Stroke Association.

The CCGH annual report evaluates stroke recovery outcomes in fifteen important physical measures, including walking without assistance, range of motion, balance, blood circulation, blood pressure, cognition, and medications required. Among the highlights of the report are:

• 85% of Destination HealthCare™ patients are able to walk without assistance following treatment. In contrast, the American Stroke Association's statistics show only 51% of patients completing rehabilitation in the US walk without assistance.
• 95% of Destination HealthCare™ patients regain almost complete knee flexion, compared with 50% in the US.
• In four categories of cognitive improvement, Destination HealthCare™ patients improved 8% to 15% better than for patients treated in the US, depending on the individual measure.
• 98% of Destination HealthCare™ patients return home, rather than longterm care, as compared to 74% in the US.

The China Connection Global Healthcare report also includes measures that are not reported in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control's National Institute of Health Statistics and the American Stroke Association. Key findings in the report included 100% of Destination HealthCare™ patients improving blood pressure and cholesterol, respectively, within normal ranges and 46% eliminating the need for medications related to hypertension.

According to CCGH Chief Executive Officer, Ruth Lycke, a stroke survivor herself, "Several of the most important measures are related to the potential for a second stroke. Consequently, we focus on addressing them and believe it is vital that patients have access to this information when considering rehabilitation services."

The Centers for Disease Control reports approximately 70% of people who survive a stroke are unable to complete their physician-recommended program. "There are three major contributors to this situation," according to the report. "First, the focus of hospitals and acute care centers is to move the patient out to rehab, often before they are ready. Second, the insurance focus is on regaining minimum levels of independent living, and, third, the costs of rehab services, often in excess of $100,000 after insurance expires, are staggering for most families."

Dr. Lee Schwamm, Vice Chairman of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Chairman of the American Stroke Association's Get with the Guidelines program, commented, "This is the important part of the story on which too few people focus. Millions of dollars are spent on acute care, but far too little is available for rehabilitation."

The report notes that many decisions are made based on a hospital's reputation, rather than its expertise in stroke recovery or quality of medical outcomes. First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University, a globally recognized center of excellence in stroke and neurological care, treated more than 358,000 stroke patients in 2009. During that same period, the Mayo Clinic, which US News & World Report rates as America's best neurological hospital, treated approximately 4,000 stroke patients, according to its website. US News & World Report's highest rated rehabilitation hospital, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, treated 1,100 patients in 2009.

First Teaching Hospital's relationship with China Connection Global Healthcare began in 2006, when Lycke began helping patients travel to China to experience the care that contributed to her recovery. The hospital's intensive 90-day Integrated Medicine rehabilitation program utilizes the convergence of modern technique and technology, Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine to deliver care that today provides premier patient outcomes.

First Teaching Hospital President Ma Rong says of the hospital, "We know it is important that we help patients overcome the symptoms of their disease. However, giving people back the active life they enjoyed before their stroke is most important. We know that we have done our job well when we can see our patients walk out the doors, bend down and hug their children or grandchildren with both arms."

About China Connection Global HealthCare: China Connection Global HealthCare (www.chinaconnection.cc), the pioneering leader in Destination HealthCare™, arranges premier medical care through a network of world-class hospitals and physicians in Tianjin and Beijing, China at costs far below those in the United States. The company provides services to individuals, corporate clients and insurance companies. The base price Destination HealthCare Stroke Recovery™ starts at $20,000. Since 2006, CCGH has assisted hundreds of people from the US, Canada, the UK, India, Australia, and Japan in finding the care they needed.

About First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University: First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in 1954. The hospital has established cooperative relationships with medical organizations in more than 20 countries including providing training for physicians in the United States, Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Russia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

About Destination Healthcare: Destination healthcare is the practice of traveling beyond one's community for medical care. It is a common practice in America, where patients travel to regional and national centers of excellence, such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and many more. Internationally, destination healthcare is distinguished from medical tourism by its exclusive medical focus (in contrast to the leisure travel and resort locations often cited by medical tourism companies), emphasis on major medical conditions (contrasted with cosmetic or dental procedures), and integration of both home and destination physicians. More information about destination healthcare can be found in the white paper, Introduction to Destination Healthcare, available at www.chinaconnection.cc.