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The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of medical tourism revenues on the growth of healthcare sector across 49 emerging and developed economies from 2008 to 2022. Using panel GMM and PMG/ARDL estimation methods, the results show that higher levels of medical tourism revenues promote growth in the healthcare sector. This finding remains robust across different sample periods, alternative measure of healthcare sector performance, and model specifications.

The aim of this study is to determine the factors that prevent the development of medical tourism in Antalya. To explore the current medical tourism trend, a qualitative procedure was adopted. Besides analyzing the current situation of medical tourism in Antalya through a systematic searching on the available information and publications, in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from relevant authorities and representatives of medical tourism associations in this country. The data were derived from interviews with 42 key informants. Data analysis of the study was conducted through employing the software NVivo-11. Data gathered at the end of the study were grouped into 8 main themes and 40 sub-themes. The results show that insurances, language and communication, management, policies and rules, prices and treatments, structural, transfer and terminology problems are the main barriers to the development of medical tourism. Several strategies are required in order to address and combat these barriers, such as governmental support, ethical practices, pricing and enhance personnel linguistic competence on an international scale. In this context, the study is expected to contribute to national and regional planning on medical tourism.

Desde la antigüedad, los seres humanos han viajado a otros lugares en busca de remedios curativos para mejorar su salud o encontrar una cura a su enfermedad. En las últimas décadas, el número de personas que viajan en busca de tratamientos e intervenciones médicas y de bienestar ha crecido notablemente, convirtiendo al turismo de salud en un importante sector de la economía mundial. Por ello, el turismo de salud, debido a su potencial, representa una gran oportunidad de negocio, creación de riqueza y empleo. España, gracias a su posición geográfica y a una serie de características ambientales, climáticas, culturales y estilos de vida se ha convertido en el segundo país más visitado por los turistas. Su amplia oferta de servicios sanitarios y su disponibilidad de recursos la han convertido en uno de los principales destinos turísticos por motivos médicos y/o de bienestar. A pesar de los innumerables beneficios del turismo de salud internacional, el desarrollo de esta tipología también puede tener efectos adversos, tanto en el país receptor, como en el país emisor. Estos inconvenientes deben superarse mediante estrategias sanitarias - por parte de los gobiernos y las instituciones responsables - que permitan garantizar y acreditar la veracidad y calidad de estas prestaciones en los países receptores. De este modo, se daría mayor tranquilidad y confianza a los turistas de salud sin que ello repercuta en el acceso y la atención sanitaria por parte de los residentes en el país receptor., Since ancient history, human beings have traveled to other places in search of healing remedies to improve their health or find a cure for their disease. In the last decades, the number of people traveling in search of medical and wellness treatments and interventions has grown significantly, making health tourism an important sector of the global economy. Therefore, health tourism, due to its potential, represents a great opportunity for business, wealth, and employment development. Spain, thanks to its geographical location and a series of environmental, climatic, cultural and lifestyle characteristics, has become the second most visited country by tourists. Its wide range of health services and its availability of resources have made it one of the main tourist destinations for medical and/or wellness reasons. Despite the innumerable benefits of international health tourism, the development of this tourism typology can also have adverse effects. These disadvantages must be overcome through healthcare strategies - by the responsible governments and institutions - to guarantee and accredit the veracity and quality of these services in the visited countries. This would give greater safety and security to health tourists without affecting access and health care for residents in the receiving country.

Medical tourism has increasingly become an important alternative to receive healthcare services given medical systems’ limitations such as: treatment availability, access, and price. The industry has significantly grown with the availability of internet services and digital platforms which enable consumers to connect with service providers as well as other stakeholders around the world. And, considering medical tourism profiles related to travel frequency, expenditure, place, and degree of digital platform use, the question is how does digital platform use impact medical tourism consumer behavior related to the type of destination? Cluster analysis and georeferencing analytics were utilized to study the correlation between digital platform use and the preferred type of destination for medical tourism. The study shows a clear positive correlation between the variables compared., El turismo médico se ha convertido cada vez más en una alternativa importante para recibir servicios de salud dadas las limitaciones de los sistemas médicos tales como: disponibilidad, acceso y precio de tratamientos. La industria ha crecido significativamente con la disponibilidad de servicios de Internet y plataformas digitales que permiten a los consumidores conectarse con proveedores de servicios y otras partes interesadas en todo el mundo. Y, considerando los perfiles de turismo médico relacionados con frecuencia de viaje, el gasto, destino y grado de uso de las plataformas digitales, la pregunta es ¿cómo impacta el uso de plataformas digitales al comportamiento del consumidor de turismo médico con relación al tipo de destino? Análisis de conglomerados y de georreferenciación fueron utilizados para estudiar la correlación entre el uso plataformas digitales y el tipo de destino preferido para el turismo médico. El estudio muestra una clara correlación positiva entre las variables comparadas.

Desde la antigüedad, los seres humanos han viajado a otros lugares en busca de remedios curativos para mejorar su salud o encontrar una cura a su enfermedad. En las últimas décadas, el número de personas que viajan en busca de tratamientos e intervenciones médicas y de bienestar ha crecido notablemente, convirtiendo al turismo de salud en un importante sector de la economía mundial. Por ello, el turismo de salud, debido a su potencial, representa una gran oportunidad de negocio, creación de riqueza y empleo. España, gracias a su posición geográfica y a una serie de características ambientales, climáticas, culturales y estilos de vida se ha convertido en el segundo país más visitado por los turistas. Su amplia oferta de servicios sanitarios y su disponibilidad de recursos la han convertido en uno de los principales destinos turísticos por motivos médicos y/o de bienestar. A pesar de los innumerables beneficios del turismo de salud internacional, el desarrollo de esta tipología también puede tener efectos adversos, tanto en el país receptor, como en el país emisor. Estos inconvenientes deben superarse mediante estrategias sanitarias - por parte de los gobiernos y las instituciones responsables - que permitan garantizar y acreditar la veracidad y calidad de estas prestaciones en los países receptores. De este modo, se daría mayor tranquilidad y confianza a los turistas de salud sin que ello repercuta en el acceso y la atención sanitaria por parte de los residentes en el país receptor., Since ancient history, human beings have traveled to other places in search of healing remedies to improve their health or find a cure for their disease. In the last decades, the number of people traveling in search of medical and wellness treatments and interventions has grown significantly, making health tourism an important sector of the global economy. Therefore, health tourism, due to its potential, represents a great opportunity for business, wealth, and employment development. Spain, thanks to its geographical location and a series of environmental, climatic, cultural and lifestyle characteristics, has become the second most visited country by tourists. Its wide range of health services and its availability of resources have made it one of the main tourist destinations for medical and/or wellness reasons. Despite the innumerable benefits of international health tourism, the development of this tourism typology can also have adverse effects. These disadvantages must be overcome through healthcare strategies - by the responsible governments and institutions - to guarantee and accredit the veracity and quality of these services in the visited countries. This would give greater safety and security to health tourists without affecting access and health care for residents in the receiving country.

Siak Regency has great potential to develop the medical tourism sector as an effort to diversify the economy and improve health services. This research aims to explore the concept of Collaborative Governance as an effective approach to realizing the medical tourism program in Siak District. The research method used is a literature study, by analyzing various sources related to Collaborative Governance and its implementation in the context of medical tourism. The results of the analysis show that Collaborative Governance can be a relevant and effective framework in facilitating cooperation between the government, the private sector, and the community in the development of medical tourism programs. This collaboration allows for resource synergy, improved accessibility of health services, and the development of supportive tourism infrastructure. The implications of these findings can serve as a foundation for local governments, the private sector, and the community to actively participate in the process of developing a medical tourism program. By utilizing the principles of Collaborative Governance, it is hoped that Siak Regency can achieve sustainability in developing the medical tourism sector as an integral part of efforts to diversify the economy and improve community welfare.

Siak Regency has great potential to develop the medical tourism sector as an effort to diversify the economy and improve health services. This research aims to explore the concept of Collaborative Governance as an effective approach to realizing the medical tourism program in Siak District. The research method used is a literature study, by analyzing various sources related to Collaborative Governance and its implementation in the context of medical tourism. The results of the analysis show that Collaborative Governance can be a relevant and effective framework in facilitating cooperation between the government, the private sector, and the community in the development of medical tourism programs. This collaboration allows for resource synergy, improved accessibility of health services, and the development of supportive tourism infrastructure. The implications of these findings can serve as a foundation for local governments, the private sector, and the community to actively participate in the process of developing a medical tourism program. By utilizing the principles of Collaborative Governance, it is hoped that Siak Regency can achieve sustainability in developing the medical tourism sector as an integral part of efforts to diversify the economy and improve community welfare.

This article reviews the evolution of medical tourism during the COVID-19 crisis, which para-lyzed most of the destination cities, as well as the pandemic’s impact on tourists who travelled for medical reasons. The author emphasizes the recovery of a highly competitive destination, well-positioned among U.S. Americans, Tijuana, on the border with San Diego, California, com-pared to other destinations, one national (Cancún), and the other international (Thailand). Using data from the INEGI-Banxico about international travelers in 2019, 2020, and 2021, statistics from the World Tourism Organization, and interviews with suppliers and leaders of medical clusters, she found that, as other regions closed down, residents from different U.S. cities far from the Mexican border, and even some from distant countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, opted to come to Mexico for medical treatments., El objetivo de este artículo es revisar la evolución del turismo médico en la etapa de crisis de COVID-19, que paralizó a la mayoría de destinos, así como el impacto de la pandemia en los tras-lados de turistas que viajan por motivos médicos. Se enfatiza la recuperación de un destino alta-mente competitivo y bien posicionado entre la población de Estados Unidos, la ciudad de Tijuana en la frontera con San Diego, California, comparándolo con otros destinos, uno nacional (Cancún, Quintana Roo –México–) y el otro internacional (Tailandia). Con base en datos de INEGI-Banxico sobre viajeros internacionales en 2019, 2020 y 2021, cifras de la Organización Mundial del Turis-mo (OMT) y entrevistas a proveedores y dirigentes de clústers médicos, se encontró que, ante el cierre en otras regiones, residentes de varias ciudades estadounidenses alejadas de la frontera con México e incluso de países distantes, de Asia, Medio Oriente y Europa, optaron por México para realizarse tratamientos médicos.

With all the developments in the world today, medical tourism is becoming increasingly more popular. People have discovered that there is a chance to seek medical care elsewhere than in their country of residence, often at a lower price than in that country. The fact is that people are able to travel easily between countries for that purpose nowadays, and people have started to travel for various medical treatments. Dental tourism is a phenomenon that has been growing rapidly along with medical tourism in general. The reasons why people go abroad for dental treatments are various but, in most cases, the fact is that it is possible for them to have a treatment in a country where the costs are lower than in their country of residence. It has been argued whether going abroad is really worth it even with the lower prices at the dental tourism destination and with that said it is interesting to see how the dental tourists’ experience culminates. This research’s aim is to explore how satisfied Icelandic dental tourists are with their dental experience and what effect the dental experience has on other factors of the travel and, the travel experience. This research uses a qualitative research approach where semistructured interviews were conducted in person, through a phone call and through Zoom. The participants for the research are 11 total and they were found using the convenient sampling method and they all volunteered to participate in the research. The results were not identical, but overall, the participants were satisfied with their dental experience and all of the participants were satisfied with their tourism experience. The negative dental experiences were mostly with the after-treatment stage where some participants were experiencing problems with their dental treatment. The participants that traveled to the destination in company of their family all agreed that it made the experience for them more positive to have their family as support. The participants that

Nineteenth-century Madeira was a popular destination for wealthy British people suffering from consumption and other pulmonary ailments. A rich store of sources from the period provide first-hand accounts of invalids on the island or offer special advice for the invalid traveller. After positioning medical travel within the context of contemporary science about climate, health and acclimatization, this article will provide a brief account of existing sources related to medical travel to Madeira. This article then examines this material for what it reveals about contemporary ideas about the Madeiran climate upon health, as well as cultural interaction between the British and the island. In particular, the article will trace how writing about Madeira conforms or diverges from popularly held views about the southern European climate and southern European people, as well as what resonance such views may have in the present.

With all the developments in the world today, medical tourism is becoming increasingly more popular. People have discovered that there is a chance to seek medical care elsewhere than in their country of residence, often at a lower price than in that country. The fact is that people are able to travel easily between countries for that purpose nowadays, and people have started to travel for various medical treatments. Dental tourism is a phenomenon that has been growing rapidly along with medical tourism in general. The reasons why people go abroad for dental treatments are various but, in most cases, the fact is that it is possible for them to have a treatment in a country where the costs are lower than in their country of residence. It has been argued whether going abroad is really worth it even with the lower prices at the dental tourism destination and with that said it is interesting to see how the dental tourists’ experience culminates. This research’s aim is to explore how satisfied Icelandic dental tourists are with their dental experience and what effect the dental experience has on other factors of the travel and, the travel experience. This research uses a qualitative research approach where semistructured interviews were conducted in person, through a phone call and through Zoom. The participants for the research are 11 total and they were found using the convenient sampling method and they all volunteered to participate in the research. The results were not identical, but overall, the participants were satisfied with their dental experience and all of the participants were satisfied with their tourism experience. The negative dental experiences were mostly with the after-treatment stage where some participants were experiencing problems with their dental treatment. The participants that traveled to the destination in company of their family all agreed that it made the experience for them more positive to have their family as support. The participants that

Nineteenth-century Madeira was a popular destination for wealthy British people suffering from consumption and other pulmonary ailments. A rich store of sources from the period provide first-hand accounts of invalids on the island or offer special advice for the invalid traveller. After positioning medical travel within the context of contemporary science about climate, health and acclimatization, this article will provide a brief account of existing sources related to medical travel to Madeira. This article then examines this material for what it reveals about contemporary ideas about the Madeiran climate upon health, as well as cultural interaction between the British and the island. In particular, the article will trace how writing about Madeira conforms or diverges from popularly held views about the southern European climate and southern European people, as well as what resonance such views may have in the present.

Nineteenth-century Madeira was a popular destination for wealthy British people suffering from consumption and other pulmonary ailments. A rich store of sources from the period provide first-hand accounts of invalids on the island or offer special advice for the invalid traveller. After positioning medical travel within the context of contemporary science about climate, health and acclimatization, this article will provide a brief account of existing sources related to medical travel to Madeira. This article then examines this material for what it reveals about contemporary ideas about the Madeiran climate upon health, as well as cultural interaction between the British and the island. In particular, the article will trace how writing about Madeira conforms or diverges from popularly held views about the southern European climate and southern European people, as well as what resonance such views may have in the present.

Purpose: This study focuses on the concept of medical tourism, its significance, and its implications for the Jordanian health sector. Patients travel to Jordan to seek elective, less expensive medical procedures while having a vacation. Other factors that promote medical tourism include better quality of care, shorter queues, exotic locations, and culture. The Medical Liability Law passed not long ago, further encouraged more patients to seek treatment in Jordan. Medical tourism's contribution to Jordanian GDP is noteworthy; providing economic growth and employment opportunities. Though medical tourism received great recognition, little is said about specific concerns like the brain drain of health workers and incurring high costs on Jordanian citizens. This issue needs further attention. Design/methodology/approach: This research employed qualitative analysis by conducting semi-structured, in-person interviews with ten Jordanian professionals who have an interest in the field of medical tourism. The interviewees included a health marketer, private hospital directors, a health policymaker, a health accreditation expert, a quality assurance manager, and health care professionals. The key participants responded to the same open-ended interview questions. The selected participants represent a diversity of facilitators involved in the medical tourism industry. Interviews were transcribed and correlated with the literature. Findings: The competitive edge of Jordan in medical tourism arises from cost-effective health services, its renowned reputation in healthcare, and the diversity of touristic attractions. Most foreign patients that come to Jordan are from Arab countries. Jordan offers no language barrier and similar culture. The importance of medical tourism to Jordan is reflected in its contribution to the GDP by 3.5 percent or $1 billion. Little attention is drawn to some issues such as brain drain, high-incurring costs, promotional campaigns, medical inequalit

Nineteenth-century Madeira was a popular destination for wealthy British people suffering from consumption and other pulmonary ailments. A rich store of sources from the period provide first-hand accounts of invalids on the island or offer special advice for the invalid traveller. After positioning medical travel within the context of contemporary science about climate, health and acclimatization, this article will provide a brief account of existing sources related to medical travel to Madeira. This article then examines this material for what it reveals about contemporary ideas about the Madeiran climate upon health, as well as cultural interaction between the British and the island. In particular, the article will trace how writing about Madeira conforms or diverges from popularly held views about the southern European climate and southern European people, as well as what resonance such views may have in the present.

Nineteenth-century Madeira was a popular destination for wealthy British people suffering from consumption and other pulmonary ailments. A rich store of sources from the period provide first-hand accounts of invalids on the island or offer special advice for the invalid traveller. After positioning medical travel within the context of contemporary science about climate, health and acclimatization, this article will provide a brief account of existing sources related to medical travel to Madeira. This article then examines this material for what it reveals about contemporary ideas about the Madeiran climate upon health, as well as cultural interaction between the British and the island. In particular, the article will trace how writing about Madeira conforms or diverges from popularly held views about the southern European climate and southern European people, as well as what resonance such views may have in the present.

The work links cross-border mobility and medical tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to analyze the behavior of medical tourism in Ciudad Juárez during October 2020 to July 2021 of this pandemic. The contextual variable is regular mobility compared to the activity of the trade in health services in border cities. It is a qualitative and exploratory study of 34 semi-structured interviews of real cases. Cross-border patients who come to Ciudad Juárez in search of health care for COVID-19 disease in public and private hospitals and for the care and follow-up of the related sequelae were found. The conclusions expose the vulnerability of people who carry out medical tourism and the institutional deficiencies that contribute to the challenges of the welfare state during the COVID-19 pandemic. The notion of the functionality of borders is identified., El trabajo vincula la movilidad transfronteriza y el turismo médico durante la pandemia de COVID-19. El objetivo fue analizar el comportamiento del turismo médico en Ciudad Juárez durante octubre de 2020 a julio de 2021 de esta pandemia. La variable contextual es la movilidad regular frente a la actividad del comercio de servicios de salud de las ciudades fronterizas. Es un estudio cualitativo y exploratorio de 34 entrevistas semiestructuradas de casos reales. Se encontraron pacientes transfronterizos que acuden a Ciudad Juárez en busca de atención sanitaria para la enfermedad de COVID-19 en hospitales públicos y privados y para la atención y seguimiento de las secuelas relativas. En las conclusiones se expone la vulnerabilidad de las personas que realizan turismo médico y las deficiencias institucionales que abonan a los desafíos del estado de bienestar durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Se identifica la noción de la funcionalidad de las fronteras.

This study explores how health institutions (i.e. hospitals) communicate through their corporate websites to convey reliability and credibility in order to establish relationships with users in the field of medical travel. The 10 world’s leading medical tourism hospitals have been selected based on the International Medical Travel Quality Alliance (2019) ranking and their strategic online communication analyzed by applying framing theory. Methodologically, a content analysis was conducted of both websites and subsites which aimed specifically at medical tourists. We conclude that hospitals are in an embryonic phase in their communicative management model with their public in the field of medical tourism since they disregard the potential role of public relations. This article provides valuable and helpful information for both tourism and communication practitioners in medical tourism., Este estudo explora como as instituições de saúde (ou seja, hospitais) se comunicam por meio de seus sites corporativos para transmitir confiabilidade e credibilidade a fim de estabelecer relacionamentos com usuários no campo de viagens médicas. Os 10 principais hospitais de turismo médico do mundo foram selecionados com base no ranking da International Medical Travel Quality Alliance (2019) e sua comunicação estratégica online analisada pela aplicação da teoria dos quadros. Metodologicamente, foi realizada uma análise de conteúdo de sites e subsites voltados especificamente para turistas médicos. Concluímos que os hospitais estão em fase embrionária em seu modelo de gestão comunicativa com seu público no campo do turismo médico, uma vez que desconsideram o papel potencial das relações públicas. O artigo fornece informações valiosas e úteis para profissionais de turismo e comunicação na área de turismo médico., Este estudio explora cómo las instituciones de salud (es decir, los hospitales) se comunican a través de sus sitios web corporativos para transmitir confiabilidad y credibilidad a fin de establecer relaciones con los usuarios en el campo de los viajes médicos. Los 10 hospitales de turismo médico líderes en el mundo han sido seleccionados en base a la clasificación del International Medical Travel Quality Alliance (2019) y su comunicación estratégica en línea analizada mediante la aplicación de la teoría del encuadre. Metodológicamente, se realizó un análisis de contenido tanto de los sitios web como de los subsitios que estaban dirigidos específicamente a turistas médicos. Concluimos que los hospitales se encuentran en una fase embrionaria en su modelo de gestión comunicativa con su público en el ámbito del turismo médico ya que desconocen el papel potencial de las relaciones públicas. El artículo proporciona información valiosa y útil para los profesionales del turismo y la comunicación en el área del turismo médico.

BackgroundIn 2016, the "Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients" was enacted by the South Korean government in an attempt to accelerate growth of its medical tourism industry. However, only a few years after its implementation, the benefits are not well understood, nor have the positive or negative impacts of expanding Korea's medical tourism sector been properly evaluated.ObjectiveWe aimed to systematically review and summarize existing literature describing South Korea's medical tourism policy and legislative history, while also assessing the impact of this domestic policy approach on the country's public health systems.MethodsA bilingual systematic literature review was conducted per PRISMA guidelines for all South Korean medical tourism legislative and policy literature using MeSH terms and other related keywords in two academic databases, PubMed and JSTOR. Published studies were included if they directly addressed South Korean medical tourism policy. To supplement results from the peer-review, the grey literature was also searched using Google search engine for relevant policy documents, information from government websites, and national statistics on medical tourism-related data.ResultsThis review included 14 peer-reviewed journal articles and 9 websites. The majority of literature focused on the legislative history of South Korea's pro-medical tourism policy, economic considerations associated with industry growth, and the specific experiences of medical tourists. There was a lack of studies, analytical or commentary-based, conducting in-depth analysis of the healthcare impact of these policies or comparing benefits and costs compared to other medical tourism destinations. Proponents of medical tourism continue to advocate the government for increased deregulation and investment in the sector.ConclusionThis systematic review suggests that policy decisions may prioritize economic growth offered by med

BackgroundIn 2016, the "Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients" was enacted by the South Korean government in an attempt to accelerate growth of its medical tourism industry. However, only a few years after its implementation, the benefits are not well understood, nor have the positive or negative impacts of expanding Korea's medical tourism sector been properly evaluated.ObjectiveWe aimed to systematically review and summarize existing literature describing South Korea's medical tourism policy and legislative history, while also assessing the impact of this domestic policy approach on the country's public health systems.MethodsA bilingual systematic literature review was conducted per PRISMA guidelines for all South Korean medical tourism legislative and policy literature using MeSH terms and other related keywords in two academic databases, PubMed and JSTOR. Published studies were included if they directly addressed South Korean medical tourism policy. To supplement results from the peer-review, the grey literature was also searched using Google search engine for relevant policy documents, information from government websites, and national statistics on medical tourism-related data.ResultsThis review included 14 peer-reviewed journal articles and 9 websites. The majority of literature focused on the legislative history of South Korea's pro-medical tourism policy, economic considerations associated with industry growth, and the specific experiences of medical tourists. There was a lack of studies, analytical or commentary-based, conducting in-depth analysis of the healthcare impact of these policies or comparing benefits and costs compared to other medical tourism destinations. Proponents of medical tourism continue to advocate the government for increased deregulation and investment in the sector.ConclusionThis systematic review suggests that policy decisions may prioritize economic growth offered by med

The article deals with the professional ethics of doctors and its influence on the development of medical tourism. The aim of the research is that the human resources are an important feature – the people in carrying out their tasks are investing in the production process of medical services not only their strength, but also intellectual and spiritual capabilities. It emphasizes the need to develop their own ethical standards, reflecting the care of doctors about the interests of patients

The article gives some measures and clear understanding of Medical Tourism and its prospects and obstacles in Uzbekistan. It begins with definition to the term health tourism and moves on to the country’s current attempts to improve the branch. Furthermore, here are some attributes to describe this type of tourism that has already become one of the most lucrative and attractive kinds of tourism. There are some criteria that fulfillmedical tourism industry which may be involved by the patients all over the world

The article deals with the professional ethics of doctors and its influence on the development of medical tourism. The aim of the research is that the human resources are an important feature – the people in carrying out their tasks are investing in the production process of medical services not only their strength, but also intellectual and spiritual capabilities. It emphasizes the need to develop their own ethical standards, reflecting the care of doctors about the interests of patients

The article gives some measures and clear understanding of Medical Tourism and its prospects and obstacles in Uzbekistan. It begins with definition to the term health tourism and moves on to the country’s current attempts to improve the branch. Furthermore, here are some attributes to describe this type of tourism that has already become one of the most lucrative and attractive kinds of tourism. There are some criteria that fulfillmedical tourism industry which may be involved by the patients all over the world

The article deals with the professional ethics of doctors and its influence on the development of medical tourism. The aim of the research is that the human resources are an important feature – the people in carrying out their tasks are investing in the production process of medical services not only their strength, but also intellectual and spiritual capabilities. It emphasizes the need to develop their own ethical standards, reflecting the care of doctors about the interests of patients

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

The purpose of this research was to elucidate the main ethical issues that arise during decision-making and medical communication influenced by interfaith and intercultural differences. The statistical analysis of information retrieved from the United Nations official web site, as well as the analysis of secondary data taken from the literature sources, were applied to achieve the goal set. The outcomes of the study reveal that in Germany, Russia, and the United States, ethical problems in decision-making and communication in healthcare exist since the cultures and faiths of these countries’ populations vary. Moreover, beliefs become more diverse due to the increasing number of migrants and medical tourists. It was found what ethical peculiarities of a particular religion can affect decision-making and communication during the provision of medical services to patients undergoing treatment in Germany, Russia, or the US. The results of the research can be applied in the scientific studies on ethical issues that arise in healthcare, as well as in the process of setting diagnosis, providing preventive care, treatment, transplantation, and euthanasia. © 2021 Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results

BackgroundIn 2016, the "Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients" was enacted by the South Korean government in an attempt to accelerate growth of its medical tourism industry. However, only a few years after its implementation, the benefits are not well understood, nor have the positive or negative impacts of expanding Korea's medical tourism sector been properly evaluated.ObjectiveWe aimed to systematically review and summarize existing literature describing South Korea's medical tourism policy and legislative history, while also assessing the impact of this domestic policy approach on the country's public health systems.MethodsA bilingual systematic literature review was conducted per PRISMA guidelines for all South Korean medical tourism legislative and policy literature using MeSH terms and other related keywords in two academic databases, PubMed and JSTOR. Published studies were included if they directly addressed South Korean medical tourism policy. To supplement results from the peer-review, the grey literature was also searched using Google search engine for relevant policy documents, information from government websites, and national statistics on medical tourism-related data.ResultsThis review included 14 peer-reviewed journal articles and 9 websites. The majority of literature focused on the legislative history of South Korea's pro-medical tourism policy, economic considerations associated with industry growth, and the specific experiences of medical tourists. There was a lack of studies, analytical or commentary-based, conducting in-depth analysis of the healthcare impact of these policies or comparing benefits and costs compared to other medical tourism destinations. Proponents of medical tourism continue to advocate the government for increased deregulation and investment in the sector.ConclusionThis systematic review suggests that policy decisions may prioritize economic growth offered by med

The article gives some measures and clear understanding of Medical Tourism and its prospects and obstacles in Uzbekistan. It begins with definition to the term health tourism and moves on to the country’s current attempts to improve the branch. Furthermore, here are some attributes to describe this type of tourism that has already become one of the most lucrative and attractive kinds of tourism. There are some criteria that fulfillmedical tourism industry which may be involved by the patients all over the world

The article deals with the professional ethics of doctors and its influence on the development of medical tourism. The aim of the research is that the human resources are an important feature – the people in carrying out their tasks are investing in the production process of medical services not only their strength, but also intellectual and spiritual capabilities. It emphasizes the need to develop their own ethical standards, reflecting the care of doctors about the interests of patients

Thomas moves to Colombia. He teams up with Daniel to create an Internet platform on which hospitals, clinics, and doctors from Colombia can offer their services to patients from the US. The promotion of medical tourism is a priority for the local government. Thomas decides to outsource the design and programming of Flyclinic’s Internet platform. This proves to be challenging. The initial launch of the website is delayed by eight months, and making hospitals and clinics sign the contract for use of the platform proves to be difficult. This causes Thomas to rethink the business model. Thomas questions whether the health-care providers in Colombia are interested in medical tourism at all. Flyclinic eventually enters into what Thomas calls a “starvation mode.” © The Author(s) 2019.

The present work carried out an analysis of the current situation of the touristic health product in the city of Baños de Agua Santa, Tungurahua Province in Ecuador. A situational diagnosis of the touristic product was implemented in order to determine its offer and the profile of the tourist that demands this type of tourism. The study was framed in the theoretical discussion on the origin of health tourism, current trends in the world and their characteristics, in order to characterize the touristic product in the destination. The data was obtained through field visits, work meetings, surveys and interviews applied to the main tourist actors. The contribution of this study is the construction of the structure of data collection instruments based on the marketing mix methodology, obtaining as a result the definition of the health product in this destination, the definition of the offer, the profile of the demand and some considerations for its development according to the perception of the actors interviewed., En el presente trabajo se realiza un análisis de la situación actual del producto turístico de salud en la ciudad de Baños de Agua Santa, Provincia de Tungurahua, Ecuador. Para lo cual se implementó un diagnóstico situacional del producto turístico con el fin de determinar su oferta y el perfil del turista que demanda de esta modalidad de turismo. El estudio se enmarcó en la discusión teórica sobre el origen del turismo de salud, las tendencias vigentes en el mundo y sus características, con el objeto de caracterizar el producto turístico en el destino. Los datos se obtuvieron a través de visitas de campo, reuniones de trabajo, encuestas y entrevistas aplicadas a los principales actores turísticos. El aporte de este estudio es la construcción de la estructura de los instrumentos de recolección de datos basados en la metodología del marketing mix, obteniendo como resultado la definición del producto de salud en este destino, la definición de la oferta, y el perfil de la demanda y algunas consideraciones para su desarrollo de acuerdo con la percepción de los actores entrevistados.

Medical Tourism has become an important social phenomenon worldwide, many travelers are interested in medical services located intourist destinations.Thisstudy examines the medical tourism offers of Puebla, in the state of Puebla, México, byobtainingdata through tourists arriving for medicalreasons. Analysis of collected datadeterminesif the city has sufficient medical services, infrastructure, location, among other variables with the objective of determining the tourist-commercial viability of a medical clusterin the city, which providesa considerable economic spill, infrastructure development and labor force. According to the results obtained and the statistical analysis, a positive correlation was obtained in all variables, concluding that the city of Puebla is a viable area to establish a medical cluster due to its commercial reference, especially with the southeastern states of the country., El turismo de salud se ha posicionado como un fenómeno social relevantea nivel internacional, loque permite el desplazamiento de un gran número de turistas, hecho que provoca que los destinos cuenten con ofertas competitivas de turismo médico. La presente investigación se ubica en la ciudad de Puebla, en el que se busca obtener datos a través de los turistas que llegan por motivos de salud, para determinarsi la ciudad cuenta con los servicios suficientes de medicina, infraestructura, ubicación, entre otras variables con el objetivode determinar la viabilidad turística-comercial de un clúster médico dentro de ella, lo que aportauna considerable derrama económica, el desarrollo de infraestructura y una fuerza laboral. De acuerdo con los resultados conseguidos y el análisis estadístico,se obtuvouna correlación positivaen todas sus variables, concluyendoque la ciudad de Puebla es una zona viable para establecer un clúster médico debido a su referente comercial sobre todo con los estados del sureste del país

The present work carried out an analysis of the current situation of the touristic health product in the city of Baños de Agua Santa, Tungurahua Province in Ecuador. A situational diagnosis of the touristic product was implemented in order to determine its offer and the profile of the tourist that demands this type of tourism. The study was framed in the theoretical discussion on the origin of health tourism, current trends in the world and their characteristics, in order to characterize the touristic product in the destination. The data was obtained through field visits, work meetings, surveys and interviews applied to the main tourist actors. The contribution of this study is the construction of the structure of data collection instruments based on the marketing mix methodology, obtaining as a result the definition of the health product in this destination, the definition of the offer, the profile of the demand and some considerations for its development according to the perception of the actors interviewed., En el presente trabajo se realiza un análisis de la situación actual del producto turístico de salud en la ciudad de Baños de Agua Santa, Provincia de Tungurahua, Ecuador. Para lo cual se implementó un diagnóstico situacional del producto turístico con el fin de determinar su oferta y el perfil del turista que demanda de esta modalidad de turismo. El estudio se enmarcó en la discusión teórica sobre el origen del turismo de salud, las tendencias vigentes en el mundo y sus características, con el objeto de caracterizar el producto turístico en el destino. Los datos se obtuvieron a través de visitas de campo, reuniones de trabajo, encuestas y entrevistas aplicadas a los principales actores turísticos. El aporte de este estudio es la construcción de la estructura de los instrumentos de recolección de datos basados en la metodología del marketing mix, obteniendo como resultado la definición del producto de salud en este destino, la definición de la oferta, y el perfil de la demanda y algunas consideraciones para su desarrollo de acuerdo con la percepción de los actores entrevistados.

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

Medical tourism (MT) enables patients to satisfy their healthcare needs by traveling outside their country of residence to obtain medical treatment. The increasing number of scientific publications, different countries’ engagement in providing care for foreigners, and patients heading abroad to receive healthcare indicate the growth and popularity of MT. This industry’s development exposes the healthcare sector to a competitive environment. As a result, marketing has become a significant part of healthcare providers’ operations and survival. Research into how these providers promote their services is limited. This limitation is further apparent for healthcare providers located in less popular destinations, such as emerging market (EM) countries. This dissertation therefore focuses on MT service providers in an EM, the Philippines. This study aims to examine how service providers in an EM country market healthcare services internationally. This thesis consists of four articles. Through qualitative case-based research, this study concentrates on hospitals, clinics, and medical tourism facilitators that play a central role in service delivery within the MT industry. The results from this thesis show that to efficiently market healthcare, service providers have to build trust, establish reliable networks, and offer customized and supplementary services. This dissertation is positioned to contribute to relevance and diversity in service marketing research and the budding healthcare service marketing while sustaining MT literature through studying service providers in an EM context. Although this study was based on one EM, it offers an in-depth understanding of how the marketing of healthcare services is being implemented. This knowledge is not only important for the practicing medical tourism destination countries, but also for patients, managers, policymakers, and researchers in the patients’ home country. Future studies could focus on the perspective of consumers. Acco

vorgelegt von Ines Tanzer, Zusammenfassung in deutscher Sprache, Universität Innsbruck, Diplomarbeit, 2020, (VLID)5091600

The article considers experience in establishing of the information policy by medical tour operator. The results of expert’s interviews with the officers of fives’ touristic PR departments and, also, the impact analysis of using promoting tools for medical tours, are allowed to define the effective forms of communication for building company’s authority and increasing the amount of repeat requests., В статье рассматривается опыт формирования информационной политики медицинскими туроператорами. Результаты экспертного интервью сотрудников PR-подразделений пяти туроператоров, а также анализ результативности использования ими инструментов продвижения лечебных туров, позволили определить, какую форму коммуникации можно считать наиболее эффективной для укрепления авторитета компании и увеличения количества повторных обращений.

In this article, we examine emerging challenges to medical law arising from healthcare globalisation concerning disputes between parents and healthcare professionals in the care and treatment of critically ill children. We explore a series of issues emerging in English case law concerning children’s medical treatment that are signs of increasing globalisation. We argue that these interrelated issues present distinct challenges to healthcare economics, clinical practice, and the operation of the law. First, social media leverages the emotive aspects of cases; secondly, the Internet provides unfiltered information about novel treatments and access to crowdfunding to pay for them. Finally, the removal of barriers to global trade and travel allows child medical tourism to emerge as the nexus of these issues. These aspects of globalisation have implications for medicine and the law, yet child medical tourism has been little examined. We argue that it affects a range of interests, including children’s rights, parents’ rights as consumers, and the interests of society in communalised healthcare. Identifying putative solutions and a research agenda around these issues is important. While cases involving critically ill children are complex and emotionally fraught, the interconnectedness of these issues requires the law to engage and respond coherently to the impacts of healthcare globalisation.

Mexico stands out among the main medical tourism destinations, the low costs offered by its health companies, around medical procedures and its strategic location with the United States and Canada, allows it to consolidate itself in the preference of international patients, who demand other services Complementary, such as: accommodation, transportation, meals and recreational activities. The objective of this article: is to analyze the characteristics and competitive strategies that allowed Medica Sur to become an economic group of national capital, and its insertion in medical tourism. The methods used are: historical-critical and analytical. The approaches of historical origin and corporate and organizational strategies were used, identifying their size and structure, their acquisitions, alliances and certifications (Concheiro, Fragoso, & Gutiérrez, 1979). Results: Medica Sur is a high-specialty national capital economic group, with a wide range of specialties and medical treatments; accredited by the Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals; its supply and gradual demand make it possible to attend international patients annually, mainly from the United States, France, United Kingdom and Latin America., México destaca entre los principales destinos de turismo médico, los bajos costos que ofrecen sus empresas de salud, en torno a los procedimientos médicos y su ubicación estratégica con Estados Unidos y Canadá, le permite consolidarse en la preferencia de pacientes internacionales, quienes demandan otros servicios complementarios, tales como: alojamiento, transporte, comidas y actividades recreativas. El objetivodel presente artículo: es analizar las características y estrategias competitivas que permitierona Medica Sur convertirse en un grupo económicode capital nacional, y su inserción en el turismo médico. Los métodosempleados son: histórico-crítico y analítico. Se utilizaron los enfoques de origen histórico y de estrategias corporativas y organizacionales, identificando su dimensión y estructura, sus adquisiciones,alianzasy certificaciones (Concheiro, Fragoso, & Gutiérrez, 1979). Resultados:Medica Sures un grupo económico de capital nacional de alta especialidad, con una amplia oferta de especialidades y tratamientos médicos; acreditado por la JointCommission International AccreditationStandardsforHospitals; su oferta y demanda gradual posibilitan queatienda anualmente a pacientes internacionales, principalmente de Estados Unidos, Francia,Reino Unido y América Latina.

Mexico stands out among the main medical tourism destinations, the low costs offered by its health companies, around medical procedures and its strategic location with the United States and Canada, allows it to consolidate itself in the preference of international patients, who demand other services Complementary, such as: accommodation, transportation, meals and recreational activities. The objective of this article: is to analyze the characteristics and competitive strategies that allowed Medica Sur to become an economic group of national capital, and its insertion in medical tourism. The methods used are: historical-critical and analytical. The approaches of historical origin and corporate and organizational strategies were used, identifying their size and structure, their acquisitions, alliances and certifications (Concheiro, Fragoso, & Gutiérrez, 1979). Results: Medica Sur is a high-specialty national capital economic group, with a wide range of specialties and medical treatments; accredited by the Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals; its supply and gradual demand make it possible to attend international patients annually, mainly from the United States, France, United Kingdom and Latin America., México destaca entre los principales destinos de turismo médico, los bajos costos que ofrecen sus empresas de salud, en torno a los procedimientos médicos y su ubicación estratégica con Estados Unidos y Canadá, le permite consolidarse en la preferencia de pacientes internacionales, quienes demandan otros servicios complementarios, tales como: alojamiento, transporte, comidas y actividades recreativas. El objetivodel presente artículo: es analizar las características y estrategias competitivas que permitierona Medica Sur convertirse en un grupo económicode capital nacional, y su inserción en el turismo médico. Los métodosempleados son: histórico-crítico y analítico. Se utilizaron los enfoques de origen histórico y de estrategias corporativas y organizacionales, identificando su dimensión y estructura, sus adquisiciones,alianzasy certificaciones (Concheiro, Fragoso, & Gutiérrez, 1979). Resultados:Medica Sures un grupo económico de capital nacional de alta especialidad, con una amplia oferta de especialidades y tratamientos médicos; acreditado por la JointCommission International AccreditationStandardsforHospitals; su oferta y demanda gradual posibilitan queatienda anualmente a pacientes internacionales, principalmente de Estados Unidos, Francia,Reino Unido y América Latina.

The article characterizes the medical tourism subsector in Bogota and Cartagena to detect potential service offers to foreignpatients. We performed a comparative analysis between these two cities to identify the weaknesses, opportunities, strengths,and threats they have. The study has a quantitative research approach using primary sources of information to characterizethe subsector in these cities. In Bogota, the quality of health care services, specialized infrastructure, the accreditation ofsome health care institutions, and the formation of the health care cluster stand out as competitive elements. Meanwhile,Cartagena shows attractive prices but has scarce health careinfrastructure and health professionals, low levels of bilingualproficiency, and increased local health service needs. We conclude that there is a need to strengthen the subsector’s competitiveness in both cities,as the trend points to the growth of this type of tourism in the coming years.

Transnational medical travel–the temporary movement by patientsacross national borders in order to address medical concerns abroadthat are (considered to be) unable to be sufficiently met within theircountries of residence–is an important therapeutic coping strategyused by growing proportions of peoples with a diverse range ofmobility profiles and intensities of global moorings. Studying thisphenomenon provides useful insight into a rapidly globalising eraof health governance, where an ever-wider array of state and non-state actors are transcending the increasingly restrictive nationalcontainerisations of health care and engaging in cross-borderaction to effectively address contemporary health challenges atboth individual and collective levels. In our introduction to thisspecial issue on transnational medical travel, we draw on both‘medical tourism’and migrant health scholarship to acknowledgethe diversity of motivations among migrant and non-migrantpatients alike and the complex nature of mobile patients’attachments to the multiple places in which they seek care. Wethen bring attention to how dynamic structural issues in mobilepatients’countries of residence and destination shape theirattachments to places and health systems over time, examiningthe linkages between vitality of the political and social systems inthese places to which they are differently attached and their dis/satisfaction and dis/enfranchisement with them.

Purpose: Medical tourism service requires involvement of multiple parties from the service network, however medical tourism is not well studied from a supply chain management perspective. This study suggests a conceptual model of medical tourism service supply chain (MTSSC) to provide a clearer understanding of its nature, and defines its business processes. Design/methodology/approach: Triangulation which makes use of literature review, in-depth interviews, and expert evaluations was applied to develop and validate the suggested model. The proposed model is initialized based on the relevant literature. In-depth interviews were used to refine and finalize the model. Expert evaluations ensure the trustworthiness of the model and the business process definitions. Findings: The proposed model uses a nested process structure rather than a one-dimensional supply chain model, where the assistance company maintains an intermediary role between the patient and all the service providers (e.g. medical institutions, transportation, accommodation). Additionally, the conceptual model identifies seven business processes: service design, service recovery management, customer relationship management, supplier relationship management, demand management, capacity and resource management, and service delivery management. Practical implications: The results provide a better understanding of the MTSSC structure and processes, and a recognition of the MTSSC members. The process definitions give the members an idea about their roles in the service design and delivery in practice. Additionally, a better understanding of the system as a whole leads to better process development and control. MTSSC members may shape their organizations internally and supply chain-wide by considering this conceptual model. Moreover, the model acts as a basis for supply chain collaboration decisions. Originality/value: The conceptual model is built upon the theories and practice of medical tourism services, sup, Peer Reviewed