ISTM Members and Travel Clinics

Hans O. Lobel

The most important function of the ISTM is to improve the quality of travel medicine, especially the quality of the services provided to travelers. Such services are generally dispensed in travel medicine clinic settings. Most clinics are operated by government health departments, occupational medicine departments, university health services or by private physicians. Much of the advice is given by nurses under medical guidance.

In the year 2000, the 1,608 members of the ISTM reported working in a total of 545 travel clinics. On the continents with at least 100 ISTM members, between 29 and 42 percent of the members reported that they worked in a travel clinic. This percentage ranged from 28.5% of the members in Europe, 35.9% in North America, and 42.4% in Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and Fiji):

Continent	No. clinics	No. ISTM Members	Clinics/Members	% ISTM Members Working in a Clinic
North America	338	942	338/942	35.9
Central & South America	1	10	1/10	10.0
Europe	127	445	127/445	28.5
Oceania	50	118	50/118	42.4
Asia	18	54	18/54	33.3
Africa	11	29	11/29	37.9
Total	545	1608	545/1608	33.9

Countries in which a high proportion of ISTM members reported associations with a travel clinic included: The Netherlands, 56.5%; Austria, 50.0%: Australia, 45.5%; and Canada, 41.5%. One-third of the ISTM members in the USA and the UK reported working in a travel clinic.

Listings of travel clinics by ISTM members provides two important services: a source of medical referrals by travel agencies and transportation companies to their customers; and access to medical care for travelers in foreign countries. During the past year efforts have been made to increase the number of listings of travel clinics by ISTM members. Also, the website (www.istm.org) has been modified to provide instant access to travel clinics. This access is facilitated by the instructions on the travel clinic page and the individual country pages. Separate pages are also available to register a new travel clinic and to update the information on a registered clinic.

The travel clinic listings are maintained through the good offices of Shoreland, Inc. and Ms Brenda Bagwell, the Administrative Assistant of the ISTM.