2.1 CONSULTATIONS
2.1.1 Who should I contact to request information?
The staff at our Institute is available to provide both administrative and clinical information.
For each of the languages available on our website, there is one person or more with whom you can communicate.
You can contact us at the following general email, and the person assigned to your case will reply:
[email protected]
Or you can call us, from 9:00 to 18:00 Monday through Thursday, and from 9:00 to 15:00 on Fridays:
0034 932800836
0034 932066406.
2.1.2 I do not live in Barcelona; can I send you my medical records for a diagnostic orientation at a distance?
Our Institute offers a diagnostic orientation at a distance, to indicate a consultation and / or a treatment at our centre. This way, patients who live outside Barcelona are able to know whether we can help them and thus get organized in just one trip.
All information you provide will be treated in compliance with the LOPDGDD 3/2018 (Spanish Organic Law on Data Protection).
2.1.3 How can I do that?
In order to provide you with a preliminary review of your case, we invite you to send us your medical files via the Internet (we recommend you use https://wetransfer.com/) in .zip or .rar format; or you can post a CD copy in the mail to the address: Institut Chiari & Siringomielia & Escoliosis de Barcelona (ICSEB): Paseo Manuel Girona 32, 08034 Barcelona, SPAIN. (Please do not send original files in the post, only copies.)
2.1.4 If I describe my symptoms and clinical situation via email or telephone, can you help me the same as in a medical consultation?
E-mail or telephone communications can NEVER replace a medical examination.
If you are not a patient of our centre, our doctors can provide you with a diagnostic orientation which will have to be confirmed with an in-person consultation.
On the other hand, when one of our patients has an emergency while away from our Institute, she/he will have to go to the nearest emergency service or family doctor, to receive indications on what to do in her/his specific circumstances. Afterwards, she/he can inform us in order for our specialists to offer recommendations.
2.2 MEDICAL CONSULTATIONS AND SURGICAL PROGRAMME
2.2.1 Where are the consultations held?
Consultations with our specialists are held at Paseo Manuel Girona 32, 08034 Barcelona. You can make an appointment via telephone or email.
2.2.2 Do complementary tests and /or hospital admissions take place in the same facility?
Complementary tests, admissions and surgical treatments are held at Hospital CIMA, near our Institut, at Paseo Manuel Girona 33, Barcelona.
2.2.3 I am a foreigner; once the indication of a consultation is established, can you help me obtain the visa for Spain?
If a visa is required to travel to Spain for a consultation, after a preliminary review of the case at a distance, our staff will take care of the necessary convocation certificates depending on each case. The rest of paperwork with the Embassy, Consulate and other official entities must be carried out directly by the patient. In no way is the favourable outcome of the mentioned paperwork guaranteed, as it is exclusive responsibility of the patient.
2.2.4 Will there be a translation service available when I travel to your Institute?
In addition to providing patient care in the two official languages of Barcelona (Catalan and Spanish), the Institut Chiari is prepared to translate documentation and offer interpretation and mediation, responding to both clinical and bureaucratic needs of patients in the following languages:
English, French, German, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Hindi, Korean and Romanian.
2.2.5 Can I use your translation service during my stay in Barcelona, also a part from hospitalization and for touristic purposes?
Our team of translators is specialized in health care management. If you wish, they can provide you with relevant information on travel agencies.
2.2.6 When I come to your Institute for a first consultation and you confirm that a surgical treatment is required, can I stay on directly?
If your case has already been assessed at a distance, depending on the diagnosis and treatment, in some cases it is possible to book the surgical programme in terms of logistics, administration and finance in advance. It will then all be confirmed on the day of the consultation, so that the patient can stay on in Barcelona.
We can rely on a very efficient service at CIMA Hospital, that allows us to schedule preoperative tests and admissions whenever it is necessary.
2.2.7 When a surgical indication is established, do I have to do preoperative tests and bring the results the day prior to surgery? Which ones?
Our surgical programme includes a circuit of basic preoperative tests, which will be carried out according to the criteria of the specialists following the preoperative and preanaesthesia assessment.
2.2.8 Do I have to travel to Barcelona with an accompanying person?
Especially in case of surgical treatment we do recommend that you come with an accompanying person.
Please note that, in case of underage patients or with a legal guardian, the presence and consent of the legal guardian is required in every procedure.
2.2.9 Does my private health insurance or the public health system in my country cover the costs of the consultation and/or the surgical treatment?
Our Institute is a private entity. However, depending on the country of origin and the treatment to be applied, we know that some patients requested and obtained reimbursement from their private insurance/ public health service. Your contact person at the Institute will provide you with relevant information and/or contact details that you may need. Please note that these procedures must be carried out by the patients and their outcome is uncertain, since they depend on many factors. The reimbursement of the cost of a treatment in a country or region does not guarantee that other subsequent treatments will be refunded, although within identical circumstances.
2.2.10 Why do you request an ID or passport number to make a reservation for the surgical treatment at distance?
The surgical booking service at Hospital CIMA requires an internationally valid ID to identify the patient.
2.2.11 When I come to the Institute, can you provide a doctor’s note for work/school? I need a certificate of… (various)
Our administrative staff will prepare notes on the medical consultation and/or surgical treatment. Our doctors will issue specific medical certifications when required.
2.3. HOSPITAL STAY
2.3.1 Can my accompanying person stay in the hospital with me?
Our admissions organisation includes and recommends the presence of an accompanying person: hospital stay and meals are provided in the patient’s same room during the days and nights at CIMA Hospital. In case of underage or disabled patients, the presence of a legal guardian is required in every procedure.
If accommodation is required for two accompanying people instead of one, the ICSEB contact person will be available to provide relevant information.
2.3.2 I am allergic to a number of foods. Will this be taken into consideration when I am hospitalized?
The CIMA Hospital patient care service requires that any special needs are reported in order to provide an adequate diet. Therefore, we recommend you notify your ICSEB contact person, who will communicate with the relevant departments. You should also inform the doctor who will visit you at our centre.
2.3.3 My religion prohibits consuming certain foods. Will the Hospital respect my beliefs?
There are different suitable diets that are being varied every day. The patient chooses the food, together with ICSEB’s care team who will watch out for any incompatibility. Should there not be suitable diet options, they must be reported on time, so that the hospital can adjust them to the client’s needs. We therefore recommend that you keep our ICSEB contact staff informed.
2.3.4 I am taking a specific type of medication (chronic, acute…). Can the plant nurses supply it?
In order for a medication to be administered, it must be approved by the ICSEB medical team. No medication can be administered if it has not been approved first.
2.3.5 I am not comfortable on the ward and would like to be better attended. What can I do?
At CIMA Hospital there is a customer service team as well as complaint forms. Any complaint, claim or suggestion can be made through these channels. We anyway recommend you also inform your contact person at the Institut Chiari who, knowing the Hospital internal circuits well, will mediate so that your stay is 100% comfortable.
2.3.6 Is it possible to travel back home on the same day of discharge?
In general, it is possible to travel the day of discharge. However, for each case we will provide specific advice based on medical indications.
2.3.7 Does your Institute offer an Emergency service?
A 24/7 emergency service is present on the premises of CIMA Hospital, where our team performs surgeries. At our Institute, on the other hand, we attend patients for medical consultations by appointment only.
On Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, the ICSEB remains closed. You can anyway contact us via mail and we will respond you as soon as possible on the next working day.
2.4. TRANSPORTATION AND ACCOMODATION
2.4.1 How can I get to the Institute from the airport? How long does it take?
From El Prat-Barcelona airport to our Institut, at Paseo Manuel Girona 32, it takes approximately 25 minutes by taxi.
From El Prat’s Terminal 2 you can also take the train to Sants Station, then transfer to metro Line 3 (green), direction “Zona Universitaria”, until “María Cristina” station. It takes approximately one hour, depending on the transport waiting times.
There is also the possibility to take the Aerobus, which connects both El Prat’s terminals to Plaza España and Plaza Cataluña.
More information is available at the following link:
https://institutchiaribcn.com/en/location-institut-chiari/
2.4.2 If I drive or come with my own vehicle, can I park near your centre?
You can ask your contact person at the Institut, who will provide information on the available options. Public parking is available at CIMA Hospital, ask for parking rates.
2.4.3 Can you recommend any hotel near your Institute?
Please find suggestions on hotels located near our Institut at the following link:
https://institutchiaribcn.com/en/recommended-hotels/
2.4.4 Is the hotel stay included in the treatment costs?
The hotel stay is not included in the cost of our services and you will have to make your own reservation.
