Medical Tourism
The growing trade in healthcare has involved the movement of patients across borders in the pursuit of
medical treatment and health which is commonly termed as medical tourism. Growth in the popularity
of medical tourism has invited the attention of policy-makers, researchers, and the media. The word
"tourism" is used since this technique involves taking care of patients, who also get to experience a new
culture and climate while receiving the treatment they need. There has been a shift towards patients
from richer, more developed nations traveling to less developed countries to access health services,
largely driven by the low-cost treatments available in the latter and helped by cheap flights and internet
sources of information. Let’s dive in to read more on medical tourism.
Medical Tourism market
Medical tourism is a worldwide, multibillion-dollar market that continues to grow with the rising
globalization of health care. Surveillance data indicate that millions of US residents travel internationally
for medical care each year. Medical tourism destinations include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru,
Singapore, and Thailand. Categories of procedures that medical tourists pursue include cancer
treatment, dental care, fertility treatments, organ and tissue transplantation, and various forms of
surgery, including bariatric, cosmetic, and non-cosmetic (e.g., orthopedic).
Categories of medical tourism
There are three groups in medical tourism: domestic, outbound, and inbound.
Domestic medical tourism is not a new phenomenon and implies medical services by residents of one
country in neighboring regions within their own country. In these cases, they seek medical help with the
desire to get highly qualified specialists in the field of treatment of certain diseases, and as a rule, these
are residents of cities with a small population, in which there are no large specialized centers.
Outbound and inbound medical tourism provide planned medical services outside the patient's country
of residence. It is typical for outreach to treat a patient abroad to meet their own medical needs.
Inbound medical tourism is aimed at attracting foreign patients to provide them with medical care.
Modern medical tourism is classified according to medical services provided as diagnostic, therapeutic,
rehabilitation, and non-traditional technologies or surgical interventions to treat a disease already
identified by a medical tourist.
Traditional medical tourism includes Buddhist teachings, yoga, Ayurveda practice, Tibetan medicine,
and other techniques with extensive use of acupuncture, massage, and herbal medicine that are specific
to a country.
Reproductive tourism involves the practice of traveling abroad to engage in surrogate pregnancy, in
vitro fertilization, and other assisted reproductive technology methods.
Reasons for medical tourism
Low costs – Certain treatments such as dental and oncology are less expensive in India than in richer
countries, so patients find it more affordable to fly down to such countries rather than getting it
treated in their own country.
Quality of care- These internationally accredited hospitals focuses on core aspects of patient care,
including fundamental requirements such as an admissions policy that has processes in place for
access to and continuity of care, with appropriate measures in place for the discharge, referral,
follow- up and transfer of patients.
Clinical outcomes- These countries have highly qualified and skilled doctors using advanced
technology and advanced medical procedures, wider treatment options, and no waiting list.
Procedures of medical tourism
1. Check the qualifications of the clinician who will be doing the procedure and the credentials of the
facility where the procedure will be done.
2. The mode of communication with the clinician has to be confirmed as the native language might not
be known by the traveler.
3. It is advisable to get a pretravel consultation with your healthcare provider to have prior knowledge
of the possible risks to your health during the travel.
4. Never forget to pack your medical records in your baggage.
5. In case follow-up care is essential after the procedure, make sure of the place you stay.
6. Patients should analyze the treatment costs, health benefits, insurance coverage, and the political
status of the country before planning to travel.
7. The traveler has to complete the necessary formalities, such as the defined visa process for medical
travel, legal requirements in accordance with the destination country's medical travel laws, flight and
lodging reservations, and finalizing an appointment with the preferred hospital in the destination
country.
8. Always go with internationally accredited hospitals.
How can you access Medical Tourism?
1. Through a medical travel agent
2. Web portals provide information on overseas patient facilities and treatments that are geared
toward healthcare providers.
3. Medical tourism broker -A medical tourism broker is often visible as a website that provides a large
range of countries, hospitals, and even doctors, that can treat a multitude of conditions and diseases.
The website usually carries written descriptions of these providers, and prominently features those
providers who pay for placement and preference.
4. International patient coordinator - The role of the international patient coordinator is specifically
created for a hospital employee or an employee of a medical tourism company to deal exclusively
with all the administrative issues and comfort concerns of international patients.
5. Care coordinators, care managers, patient representatives, and patient advocates help medical
tourists with their care needs and issues.
Risks of medical tourism
Medical tourism also poses some challenges and risks. Patients who travel to other countries for medical
treatment may be at risk of complications or infections due to differences in medical practices and
standards. They may also face language barriers, cultural differences, and logistical challenges in
navigating a foreign healthcare system. Healthcare providers may also face legal and regulatory
challenges in providing medical treatment to patients from other countries.
To address these challenges, it is important to establish best practices and guidelines for medical
tourism. This includes establishing standards for medical practices and facilities, ensuring that
healthcare providers are properly licensed and trained, and providing patients with clear and accurate
information about the risks and benefits of medical tourism. It is also important to establish legal and
regulatory frameworks that protect the rights and interests of both patients and healthcare providers.
Medical Tourism in India
Low costs of medical treatments and surgeries, world-class facilities and expertise, advanced technology
and quality, etc. are the features of Indian medical tourism. An estimated 150,000 patients from about
55 countries visited India in 2004. The majority of them flow from neighboring countries like
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Nepal. A study by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), a business lobby,
and McKinsey, a consultancy, has estimated that "medical tourism" could bring India an additional 50
billion-100 billion rupees ($1.1 billion-2.2 billion) in annual revenue by 2012. ( Ref - Anvekar, Sandhya.
(2012). Medical Tourism in India: A Strategic Approach Towards Effective Branding for Health Care
Services Marketing. American Journal of Management vol. 12(2/3) 2012. 12.)
India ranks seventh among the 20 wellness tourism markets due to the affordable treatments offered
here. India anticipates receiving 3 million foreign patients by the year 2030. India has been ranked tenth
in the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) for 2020-2021 by the Medical Tourism Association out of 46
destinations in the world.
Global update on medical tourism
Canada is ranked as the best destination for medical tourism in the survey report for 2020–21.
Spain is one of the most well-liked tourist destinations and is ranked fourth by the MTI for medical
tourism
Every year, millions of medical tourists travel to the UK to receive treatment at internationally
renowned hospitals including the London Orthopedic Clinic, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and the
Cambridge Complex Orthopedic Trauma Centre. Treatment in the UK is less expensive than in the US
in addition to offering high-quality healthcare services.
Conclusion
As people move from more affluent to less developed nations to seek healthcare facilities, patient
mobility is changing qualitatively and quantitatively. The relative affordability of treatments in less
developed countries, the availability of cheap flights, and enhanced marketing and online consumer
information on the convenience of medical services all contribute to this change and make Medical
tourism a big impact on the travel industry.
Ref
https://www.health-tourism.com/medical-tourism/history/
https://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/48723982.pdf
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/health-care-abroad/medical-tourism
https://www.healthcareresearchcenter.org/research
