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Table 1 Synthesis of Canadian international retirement migrants’ preparatory strategies for managing their health while abroad

From: “If you have a pain, get on a plane”: qualitatively exploring how short-term Canadian international retirement migrants prepare to manage their health while abroad

 

Scope of the strategy

Examples of information gathering strategies

Examples of preparatory actions taken

Thoroughly prepared

an international retirement migrant who carefully plans how they will manage their health abroad and undertakes preparatory actions based on this plan

undertakes multiple strategic searches for travel health insurance information; researches health-related events for the winter season

schedules full annual medical examination upon return to Canada; travels with pre-filled prescriptions for the duration of the stay in the US

Preparation adverse

an international retirement migrant who undertakes little-to-no advanced planning and intends to act reactionarily to any health events or issues that emerge while abroad

receives word-of-mouth details about health management both home and abroad

plans to call on friends and acquaintances to provide financial support needed; plans to fly or drive home if health complications arise

Prepared with info but not action

an international retirement migrant who consults multiple information sources, considers the types of health management issues they may encounter while abroad, and then opts not to prepare in advance

researches travel health insurance options

does not take preparatory actions

Haphazardly

prepared

an international retirement migrant who is generally knowledgeable about health management, but has knowledge gaps and a non-systematic approach to gathering information that may result in taking risks

relies on incomplete information shared by friends and acquaintances

looks for affordable prescription refills while abroad; plans to avoid making travel health insurance claims