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JOURNEYS IN HEALTH: EXPLORING USAGE OF A TRAVEL HEALTH HELPLINE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRAVELLERS IN THE UK

I.Koopmans¹, C. K. Chuah¹, D. Patel²

¹Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Hospital, London, UK

²National Travel Health Network and Centre, London, UK

Background

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, UK international business travellers (IBTs) constituted about 10% of all UK international travellers1, presenting unique challenges in health preparedness2.Yet, there remains a lack of data on the pre-travel risk assessments, preparations, and health challenges of this group.

Aims

This study analyses the usage of a travel advice helpline among IBTs, focusing on identifying co-morbidities affecting travel and common enquiries.

Methods

Anonymised data from calls to the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)3 helpline between 2016 and 2023 were collected and analysed. Included were calls concerning IBTs aged 21 and above, with recorded demographics, destinations, and enquiry specifics.

Results

The analysis included 1,817 IBT calls, representing 6.4% of all helpline calls during the study period. Within IBT calls, 69% involved individuals aged 21 to 59, with 12.8% aged over 60. Occupational Health professionals accounted for 7.6% of calls, while General Practitioners (GPs) made up 73.6%. Prominent destinations included Africa (856 calls), Southeast Asia (211 calls), and the Americas (190 calls). Most enquiries focused on general vaccines (919 calls), yellow fever guidance (863 calls), and malaria (217 calls). Pregnancy-related (92) and multiple co-morbidity (53) inquiries were prominent.

Conclusion

The study highlights significant GP usage of the travel health helpline, indicating potential need for enhanced support in travel risk assessment. As the state pension age rises, it is foreseeable that we will witness a rise in older IBTs with increasing challenges in pre-travel risk management. Additionally, tailored pregnancy-related travel health advice for IBTs is warranted.

References:

1. Travel trends estimates: UK residents‘ visits abroad – Office for National Statistics. [Accessed 29 February 2024]. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/datasets/ukresidentsvisitsabroad
2. Bunn WB. Assessing risk and improving travel vaccine programs for business travelers. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. 2014 Nov;56(11):1167–8.
3. NaTHNaC – Contact Us. [Accessed 29 February 2024]. Available from: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/contact.