Introduction
One popular addition to the healthcare industry and tourism industry in recent times is medical tourism. Medical tourism occurs when customers choose to receive specific medical treatment in a different country. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global tourism industry is expected to grow from $13.98 billion in 2021 to $53.51 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 21.1% in the 2021–2028 period. The duration of tourism can depend on the service sought.
The most commonly sought medical services according to an OECD report are dental, cosmetic, electives, and fertility treatment. There is also a recent trend among the population in developed countries to travel to developing countries to avail medical services at a reduced cost. The reason for this trend is that developing nations offer the same medical procedures at a reduced cost when compared to developed countries. Add cheaper travel options and internet, which provides global knowledge of medical services, and medical tourism gets another boost.
What is medical tourism?
Even if a person travels from one place to another, like between countries or cities, to treat their physical illnesses or to avail of certain medical services, it is considered medical tourism (Source: News Medical). These services are offered by state-recognized medical facilities under the supervision of qualified surgeons. The visa process for medical tourism is easy and faster if your need is an emergency and you have the right proof to show to the authorities. Here are the popular healthcare services in medical tourism according to Ermateb.
1. Cosmetic/Plastic surgery
Several countries offer cosmetic surgeries like rhinoplasty, wrinkle removal surgery, and slimming cosmetic surgeries like arm lifts, body lifts, and hip lifts.
2. Bariatric surgery
This is a hormonal surgery that includes several procedures that are performed on individuals with obesity. This helps you lose weight through surgical or hormonal means. Very attractive surgery is referred to only when diet and exercise are not working for the patient and there are serious health complications because of their obesity. Bariatric surgery is a hormonal surgery that includes a variety of procedures performed on individuals with obesity. It helps you lose weight by changing your digestive system. Bariatric surgery is done when diet and exercise haven't worked or when you have serious health problems because of your weight.
3. Eye surgery
The liver is a complex and highly important organ in the body. This is why surgery is highly risky, and not all countries have the experts or facilities to perform these surgeries. That means people have to travel to other countries to avail themselves of these surgeries.
4. Organ transplants
Some countries with hormone transplants have better surgeons and facilities, which attract medical tourists who need these services. In developing countries, our own transplant mafia is also driving the dark side of medical tourism.
5. Diagnostics, checkups, and other treatments
Advanced diagnostic checkups are treatments that are often valuable in poor countries. In some developed countries, providing these services has a higher cost compared to developing countries. This can also be a factor in why medical tourists resort to medical tourism. As a related action, certain permanent illnesses give you time to cope with and fight the illness; such treatments and checkups must be federally funded and made available. However, it cannot always be possible, which is why medical tourism is a silver lining for those who are in such underprivileged countries.
6. Orthopaedics
Orthopaedics is the treatment of bones and muscles. Many countries lack orthopaedic clinics and technicians, which forces them to take the medical tourism option.
7. Dental or Dentistry
Many countries have specialists in the dental industry. Depending on the country, rental treatments can be cheaper and have a higher scope and quality for those who need them urgently.
8. Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation centres are lacking in several countries, which is a major reason for inbound medical tourism from such countries. Rehabilitation is a medical process that helps patients get rid of their addictions or unhealthy habits under the guidance of professionals who are trying to rehabilitate psychology. It encourages patients to actively participate in education, work, recreation, and meaningful life by claiming they have bad habits.
9. Cardiology
Developing countries have better cardiological treatments than other nations. This is why cardiology is a major part of medical tourism.
10. Fertility treatment
Those who badly need a baby resort to medical tourism to try better or unconventional procedures that are available in other countries. They often resort to in vitro fertilisation or surrogate pregnancy. Several developing and poor countries offer surrogate mothers for commercial use.
Types of medical tourism
If we consider the medical tourism sector, there are three kinds of medical tourists: outbound, inbound, and domestic medical tourists. Outbound medical tourists are those who leave their country, and inbound medical tourists are those who come into our host country to avail themselves of healthcare services. Domestic medical tourists are those who travel between different cities within the same country.
The most common types of medical procedures that are popular among medical tourists are elective and cosmetic surgeries, organ transplantation, cardiac surgery, and dental surgeries (Source: Wikipedia). Cost is an important factor in the decision-making process for medical treatment. Along with that, the availability of high-quality medical services in the host nation is also a consideration in the decision-making process.
However, these are not the only services that are popular in the medical tourism industry. Nowadays, reproductive tourism and reproductive outsourcing are growing subsectors of medical tourism. In vitro fertilisation, surrogate pregnancy, and assisted reproductive technology all fall under this medical tourism umbrella term. Many developing and poor countries offer commercial surrogate pregnancy to others who have complications with becoming pregnant. The surrogate pregnancy industry is especially popular in countries like Russia because they have legalised commercial surrogacy (Source: Wikipedia).
Many medical tourists want to avail themselves of medical services that are prohibited in their native country. They move to another country, where the services are legal so that they do not end up behind bars. Some popular examples of this scenario are cytoplasmic transfer, stem cell therapy, and commercial surrogacy.
The advantages of medical tourism?
Medical tourism has its own advantages, which explains why it is a fast-growing trend among patients. Here are some of the major advantages of medical tourism.
1. Cost
The primary reason for medical tourism is cost. The same treatment that costs a fortune in some countries is offered in other countries for a very affordable price. This is why medical tourism has become a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. It is also expected to grow considerably in the coming years. As cost is an important factor in medical services, Medical tourism has become increasingly popular among businesses and insurance providers as a means of bringing down healthcare costs, which are out of control and rising around the world.
As more nations throughout the world begin to realise the financial advantages of this developing market, they start to offer top-notch medical services at noticeably reduced costs. The key factor in developing countries' ability to reduce prices for hospitals is the country's economic condition. One can detect a direct association between income levels and the nation's per capita gross domestic product. As a result, the cost of surgery is between 30 and 70 per cent less in nations that encourage medical travel (Source: Medical Tourism).
2. Quality
Technical quality and functional quality are the two main determinants of service quality in the healthcare industry. Patients' diagnostic algorithms are based on technical equipment, and the level of functional quality is determined by the services provided by healthcare facilities. A key factor in luring customers to the medical tourism sector is the level of service provided. The idea of poor quality is one of the main obstacles to accepting medical tourism. Utilising appropriate marketing tactics and quality control via certification from a globally renowned institution are important ways to overcome it. Such certification is essential for boosting trust in the quality.
3. Availability of new treatments.
There are also new and better treatments in other countries that do not exist in the home country of the medical tourist; this is also a major reason for medical tourists to visit other countries. Many high-profile personalities from developed countries choose medical tourism because they can receive better-quality treatment for illnesses that are too advanced to treat in their own countries. Often, developed countries have better and higher-quality treatment for some terminal illnesses like cancer. Even those who need advanced critical care surgery, like brain and cardiac surgeries, must visit other countries if their countries do not have advanced medical facilities or experienced surgeons who can conduct the complex operations.
4. Specialised services.
There are also cases where some countries have a higher number of experts and expertise in certain areas than other nations. For example, cosmetic surgery attracts thousands of medical tourists too. Specialised services are highly dependent on the quality of the surgeons in their countries and their reputations in the medical world. Some specialists in complex operations are sorted by medical tourism worldwide for the year's success rates and the possibility of curing terminal illnesses. Consultative treatment and stem cell organ transplants are highly complex surgeries that require experienced surgeons for the success of the operations.
5. Delays can be avoided.
In some countries, there is still a critical shortage of medical facilities and staff that cannot meet the demands of the citizens. This is also the reason why patients from these countries choose to get medical services from another country, where they can minimise the waiting time or get immediate medical attention. In such cases, the need for immediate medical attention drives medical tourists to other countries (Source: Shifa International Patients).
Disadvantages of medical tourism
1. Travelling is stressful
While medical tourism has its own advantages, it also has its share of disadvantages. The first one among these advantages is the stress medical tourists have to undergo while travelling abroad. Travelling is an endeavour that cannot be ignored by sensitive medical tourists. Travelling is a stress-inducing activity that will put additional stress on those who are physically ill. This must be considered beforehand so that you can shift the patients using better and easier transportation methods. Every travel method, including air travel, offers a factor to medical tourists who are fragile in their health. Apart from that, patients also suffer when choosing the right treatment centre, the right doctor, or the right treatment process. While the internet helps, there is also fake news and misinformation on the internet, which adds to the anxiety of medical tourists.
2. Patient‘s communication with doctors
Another major disadvantage of medical tourism is the language factor. Often, those who travel to other countries encounter people who do not speak their native language. and hand communication can become a major problem between doctor and patient. Even with English as the major global language, there are still many countries where English is not spoken or comprehended, like those who have been introduced to English as a first language. Such miscommunication between the medical service provider and the medical tourist can have drastic effects on the clinical diagnosis and strategic process. This challenge can be overcome with coordination within our medical tourism company. Having a local translator can also help in such cases.
Conclusion
Medical tourism is a growing industry that integrates the medical and healthcare sectors with the tourism and hospitality industries. Often, it is driven by the need for critical healthcare services that are unavailable in the medical tourist's home country. There are also times when the patient needs immediate critical care or checkups and diagnostics that will help prevent a terminal illness like cancer. Some medical tourists are looking for medical services that are prohibited in their own countries, while others are looking for commercial surrogacy in developing countries.
A range of medical services coupled with high quality, an experienced surgeon base, and a relaxation of loss in the host country will drive the medical tourism industry to flourish. However, there is also a possibility of exploitation of medical tourists and their resources, as well as those of other underprivileged individuals, by the Mafia and underground groups. Creating a responsible medical tourism industry is a necessity that every government must regulate.
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