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Medical tourism attracts medical vacationers by promoting its uniform vacation ease, healthcare know-how, proficiency, and comprehensible amenities. With the upsurge in COVID-19 cases and no therapeutic treatment, non-pharmaceutical intrusions are the utmost priority. Unprecedented travel limitations and homestay restrictions are posing a huge economic burden to the tourism industry. The present study aims to identify determinants inciting sustainable e-medical tourism post COVID-19 pandemic. The study is advanced from the theoretical outlook, systematically determining and scrutinizing the prior literature to discuss the determinants which encourage e-medical tourism. The results of the study highlight that resource and management assistance, electronic supporting facilities, demand issues, technological intervention, and situational glitches act as major aspects of perseverance of e-medical tourism. An apparent limitation of the present study is the absence of contributions based on empirical data.

Purpose The purpose of this bibliometric study is to report research output and publications on the social determinants of health and health outcomes. This study condenses numerous studies into a single paper, which not only provides insights into the worldwide growth and advancement of the study field but also establishes a research agenda for the future. Design/methodology/approach Using the Scopus database, a thorough bibliometric study of the worldwide scientific output on social determinants of health from 2000 to 2021 was conducted. With the assistance of VOS viewer and R-based scientometric software, the worldwide development of research on social determinants of health was analysed through performance analysis and network map visualisation. Findings This study identified the most influential authors, studies, journals and affiliations in the field of social determinants of health, as well as the most co-cited authors and journals, based on a bibliometric analysis of 1,203 research papers retrieved from the Scopus database during the past two decades (2000–2021). Beginning in 2000 with one publication and ending in 2021, 274 articles were viewed online, relevant to the social determinants of health. From 2014 to 2021, publications continue to grow at an accelerating pace. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to review the social determinants of health and its outcomes. The findings of the chosen studies represent a novel and important addition to the study of social determinants of health. It offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications, in addition to the identification of vital research trends.

With the technological advancement, shopping behaviour among the young consumers undergone a paradigm shift. Online shopping has made the market available at a single touch of customer. The aim of the present article is to identify the determinants of online purchase intention among young consumers. A structured questionnaire based survey was performed in the state of Punjab, with a multi-stage stratified random sample of 200 respondents. The analysis was made with the help of descriptive statistics and Probit regression. The analysis of the Probit regression identified age, convenience and ease of quality comparison are positively affecting online shopping among youngsters. On the other hand, personal privacy, risk in giving card details and tangibility of product act as a barrier in online purchase intention among young consumers of Punjab. Online sellers should focus on these factors in order to target young consumers.

PurposeAccessibility to a precise tool for healthcare management and self-precaution among diabetic patients is an absolute necessity. This paper aims to develop and validate diabetes-related awareness instrument (DRAI) – an instrument that measures diabetics awareness about risk factors and prevention strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe reliability and validity of the DRAI were tested with a sample of 112 diabetics. The construct validity of the DRAI was measured using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Item discrimination, reliability, usefulness and validity of the items were determined by performing Cronbach's alpha, item difficulty and discrimination index analysis.FindingsThe study finds DRAI – a reliable and valid instrument to assess diabetics awareness towards diabetes mellitus, its associated risk factors and prevention strategies. The value of Cronbach's alpha for all three constructs was above the threshold level of 0.70. Under exploratory factor analysis, “Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin” test value of 0.805 exhibits a meritorious sample adequacy and “Bartlet's test of Sphericity” was statistically significant with p = 0.032. Therefore, results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that all fitness indices of the model to be excellent fit.Practical implicationsThe present instrument can help to determine whether the individual is susceptible to diabetes, timely prevention and reduction in the incidence of diabetes mellitus.Originality/valueDRAI is the first of its kind tool to assess the awareness and knowledge about diabetes-related risk factors and prevention strategies in such a demographically diverse population of India.

Since the time when liberalization was introduced, many changes have taken place in banking world. Although in India block chain technology is still at its initial stage, many of the banks are using this technology to make their tasks easier. However, block chain technology will offer remarkable progress in the area of banking as with the help of it; banks are able to provide quick, accurate, and quality service to their customers. With the inception of blockchain technology, the banking sector has transformed, as many of its processes have become transparent, safe, and efficient as well. Under blockchain technology, banking systems are basically based on one point data base, which has dispersed ledger for reducing cyber crimes. The present chapter tries to depict the same with the help of a descriptive analysis of increase in incentives, and also the inconvenience faced by banks in recent times after the introduction of block chain technology.

With the progress of new know-how and technology, various cyber centers are utilized by illegal persons to augment cyber related crime. To alleviate this digital crime and cyber threats, artificial intelligence is being implemented by banks and financial institutions. A variety of avenues are offered by artificial intelligence techniques, which facilitate the banks to amplify affluence plus wealth. As per various literatures it has been observed that the expenses of cybercrime were around $ 450 million globally. Therefore, it becomes imperative to introduce certain security programs for guarding cyber threats in banking area. To battle and overcome hackers many banks are moving hands to employ artificial intelligence. Various kinds of cybercrimes are prohibited and recognized by AI-based fraud detection systems. However, execution and preservation of artificial intelligence consist of the high cost. After it, joblessness rate is also augmented by AI techniques. In this study various artificial intelligence techniques will be discussed along with their utilization and limitations.

Blockchain was first conceptualized in 2008, but became all the rage with Bitcoin. Blockchain is a digital ledger that records the transactions, excluding any third party. It has many features like transparency, security, privacy, accuracy, reliability, and decentralization. In the present study, the process and applications of blockchain in healthcare, and how and where blockchain is helpful for the healthcare industry, are discussed. The study shows that blockchain helps in generating a private key for its use, which can be accessed by that key only, ensuring privacy and security. Blockchain can record and manage the data of patients, which improves doctor-patient interaction with accuracy. It can also keep track of any upcoming outbreak of disease by helping epidemiologists and can help in claiming health insurance, which is helpful for both parties, i.e., insurer and insured. Lastly, it can help trace and secure the medical supplies without any fraud or manipulation, which can increase the product lifecycle by protecting the rights.

Bancassurance was initiated as a supplementary medium for dispensing insurance-related products and services. The proposal was to make certain auxiliary profits for banks exclusive of the necessity to inculcate extra funds in a period when restrictions were under force and credit off take was unresponsive. Insurance firms thus had the time to amplify the market penetration for them. On the other hand, online and cybernetic intrusion in the banking sector and the inception of Bancassurance were nearly associated. The chapter will emphasize the need for a customer-centric approach and recognize the tactic desired for giving a boost to the Bancassurance business model through innovations and intensification of the digital infrastructure of banks. The recommendation is that rather than solely relying on digital, Bancassurance will benefit from the flawless amalgamation of omni channels (digital and physical) to contact customers.

Application of blockchain technology is feasible in the insurance sector, thus authorising data transmission, preventing fraud, enabling automation, and safeguarding audit trails. The present study aims at understanding the use cases of blockchain in the insurance industry and examining the challenges and opportunities of blockchain technology in the insurance industry. This study is approached from a theoretical perspective, and literature search strategy was performed for all working and published research articles and book chapters indexed under different databanks (e.g., CEI, Google Scholar, IEEE, Research Gate, Web of Science, etc.). Only articles accessible in English and published between 2010 to 2021 are included in the study. Blockchain is gaining ever-increasing attention from various industries and research domains. A quantum leap in skills and technical know-how influences all segments of industries, and this revolution is absolutely necessary in the field of insurance. Thus, the implementation of blockchain in the insurance sector has turned out to be a default platform.

The global pervasiveness of COVID-19 has been designated as “Public Health Emergency” and it is crafting major health implications globally. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to propose a conceptual model demonstrating risk factors triggering the morbidity and mortality progression in COVID-19 patients.

Quantum leaps in technology affect all phases of business models over numerous industries and are the fundamental characteristic of any technological revolution. Emerging technologies provide new avenues for industries to increase their competitive advantage and enhance the economic progression. The aim of this study is to advance a theoretical model on motivating antecedents and consequences of blockchain technology in insurance industry based on the evidence from past literature. This chapter is approached from the theoretical viewpoint, so it meticulously assesses and examines the prior literature to debate on the role of blockchain technology in the insurance industry. The outcome of the present study is dispassionate and corresponding to the conclusions of the prior literature. Blockchain helps in achieving innovation, augmenting transparency, refining data standards, and advancing an integrated approach for quality service. Thus, the espousal of blockchain in insurance is developing very quickly, and it has become the default platform for the complete insurance industry.

The article provides estimates of economic burden of diabetes among women. The study was based on primary data collected from Jalandhar. The article examines the direct, indirect and intangible cost of diabetes. The result indicates that mean cost of outpatient care of consultation, lab investigations, medicines, special diet and transport was ₹203.53, ₹535.50, ₹515.0, ₹258.80 and ₹120.30, respectively. While, mean cost of inpatient care of consultation, lab investigations, room charges, medicines, special diet and transport was ₹1157.00, ₹1468.75, ₹1354.50, ₹4175.50, ₹680.0 and ₹278.65, respectively. The analysis shows that the mean cost of inpatient care was higher than that of outpatient care. Intangible cost of diabetes involved reduced food consumption, borrowing from neighbours/relatives, decreased non-food consumption, decreased savings, decreased social obligations/functions, stopped purchase/expansion of house, sale of household assets, stopped medical treatment of other members in the family and stopped the purchase of consumer durables. These figures are compelling enough to stimulate government to take corrective actions to address the risk factors that contribute to diabetes. Immediate action is needed to stem the tide of diabetes and to introduce cost-effective treatment to reverse this trend. Healthcare policy planners must anticipate and respond to socio-economic implications, ideally through preventive as well as curative measures.

Health insurance can be an effective tool of personal protection. But India’s health insurance market still lags behind the other countries in terms of penetration. The present article identified the role of perceptions in the enrolment of health insurance among the urban informal sector of Punjab, India. First, data were obtained from the urban informal sector of Punjab. Then factor analysis was applied to identify the perceptions associated with enrolment of health insurance. After this, logistic regression was performed to determine the associations of identified perceptions with enrolment of health insurance. The present study identified 12 perceptions factors associated with health insurance enrolment of the informal sector in India. Out of the 12 factors, the logistic regression results proved that 8 were statistically significant influencers of health insurance enrolment decisions. The significant perceptions factors were lack of awareness about the need to buy health insurance; comprehensive coverage; income constraint; future contingencies and social obligations; lack of information; availability of subsidized government health care; linkage with government hospitals; and preference for government schemes. It was found that perceptions play a vital role in the household decisions to enrol for health insurance. Policy makers or marketers of health insurance policies should recognize the household perceptions as a potential barrier and try to develop a health insurance package as per the actual needs of the informal sector (low income) in India.

Economic integration is an absolute necessity for sustainable economic growth and helps economies to focus on issues that encourage trade by reducing the incompetence and inability of the nation. T...

Health insurance could play a vital role to improve the health status in a country. But penetration of health insurance is very low in India. Therefore, present study endeavours to examine the awareness of health insurance, sources of awareness and determinants of awareness among workers employed in urban informal sector of Punjab. For the analysis three group of informal sector workers (construction workers, vendors and shopkeepers) have been identified from the three urban districts of Punjab, namely, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. The analysis was made with the help of descriptive statistics and multivariate probit regression. The analysis shows a significant difference in the awareness of health insurance across the occupational groups. The multivariate probit regression shows that age, education, religion, type of family, occupation, income, BPL card, experience of outpatient care, inpatient care and awareness of the insurance were the significant determinants of awareness of health insurance. In order to increase the penetration of health insurance the government, policy makers and the marketers of health insurance should make people aware about the potential benefits of health insurance policies. It is recommended to understand the awareness and perceptions of the people towards health and develop a package that is accessible, available, affordable and acceptable among informal sector of the society.

The economic status of a country is directly related to the health status of its people. Goodhealth is one of the most important pre-requisite to human productivity which in turn leads to overalldevelopment of a society. Health is understood as the indispensable basis for defining a person‟s sense ofwell-being. It is an important resource for a nation to pursue national development goals. It raises theproductivity of the labor force and enhances economic growth. It plays a critical role in supplementinggovernment effort in ensuring the availability and accessibility of health care services to the population. Theobjective of the present paper is to know the awareness of health insurance and the factors affecting thedemand for health insurance in Punjab. For the analysis of data descriptive statistics and factor analysis havebeen applied. The sample size is 200 residents of Jalandhar chosen according to convenience approach. Thestudy highlighted that majority of the people aware of the health insurance, Only 11.5 % of the total samplehas subscribed for health insurance scheme and five factors i.e. formalities bottlenecks, agent relatedproblems, coverage issues, awareness, negative feedback are main barriers in the success of health insurancein Punjab

Tourism promotes economic growth in a significant manner. The importance of tourism to economic growth has been widely recognised due to its contribution to employment, balance of payment, gross domestic product (GDP), etc. In the present paper an effort has been made to examine the link between the economic growth, investment and net exports from tourism sector by employing the technique of co-integration and VECM. The resulting co-integrating vectors indicate that there exists a long run relationship between GDP, investment in tourism sector, net exports from tourism and employment generation. Thus, it is one of the important factors affecting the economic growth in India with significant multiplier effect.

The quality of service and customer satisfaction are the two most important concepts, which companies need to understand in order to remain competitive in the market. Service quality in healthcare services is important and demands continuous attention by the customers. Keeping this in mind, in the present study an attempt has been made to find out the most important dimensions of quality of service that affects the customer's satisfaction in hospitals. The present study applies the SERVQUAL model given by Parasuraman, for measuring the quality of service in hospitals of Jalandhar region. A structured questionnaire has been formed using the five dimensions (reliability, assurance, tangibles, responsiveness, and empathy) including 25 variables as given by Parasuraman. The data has been collected from the hospitals in Jalandhar region based on random sampling approach; the model has been validated through both confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis approach. The results of the present study did not support the five dimensions of Parasuraman SERVQUAL in India and thus, are reduced to four factors (dimensions) for measuring service quality of hospitals in Jalandhar, India. The policy makers and hospital administrators should focus on these four factors for quality improvement and satisfaction of their customers.