Health Care Tourism and London Approach in Marketing Communication

This article discusses Health Care Tourism and the reasons for its growth, including cost-effectiveness, quality, accessibility, advanced technology, and best team of doctors. It also covers the benefits of London Approach in Market Segmentation, such as better services, growth, market share, customer satisfaction, profit potential, better matching of customer needs, sustainable customer relationship, attracting additional customer groups, experience, and targeted communication. Additionally, it explains Marketing Communication in Health Care Tourism, including information about services, booking information, communication with customers, facilities information, surrounding area information, contact information, social network, and public relations.

Contents
Health Care Tourism....................................................................................................................................1
Reasons for Growth of Health Care Tourism...........................................................................................1
I. Cost Effectiveness........................................................................................................................1
II. Quality.........................................................................................................................................1
III. The benefit of advanced technology........................................................................................1
IV. Best Team of Doctors...............................................................................................................1
V. Accessibility-................................................................................................................................1
London Approach or Market Segmentation................................................................................................2
Benefits of following London Approach..................................................................................................2
a) Better services.............................................................................................................................2
b) Growth.........................................................................................................................................2
c) Market Share...............................................................................................................................2
d) Customer Satisfaction..................................................................................................................2
e) Profit Potential.............................................................................................................................2
f) Better Matching of Customer Needs...........................................................................................2
g) Sustainable Customer Relationship.............................................................................................2
h) Attract Additional Customer Groups............................................................................................2
i) Experience...................................................................................................................................3
j) Targeted Communication............................................................................................................3
Marketing communication..........................................................................................................................3
Meaning of market communication........................................................................................................3
Marketing communication in Health Care Tourism.................................................................................3
a) Information about the Services...................................................................................................3
b) Booking Information....................................................................................................................3
c) Communication with Customers.................................................................................................3
d) Facilities Information...................................................................................................................3
e) Surrounding area Information.....................................................................................................3
f) Contact Information....................................................................................................................3
g) Social Network.............................................................................................................................3

h) Public Relations............................................................................................................................3
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................4

Health Care Tourism
Health Care Tourism refers to people travelling to countries for obtaining medical treatment.
Earlier people of less developed countries used to travel to other places for medical treatment
due to lack of facilities in their own country but now the situation has changed. People travel to
other countries for best treatment and that too with cost-effectiveness. Medical tourism is most
often for surgeries such as cardiac surgery, dental, joint replacement and cosmetic surgery.
Health tourism is a wider term (Turner, 2007). It covers a wide range of health-oriented services
ranging from preventive and health conductive treatment to rehabilitation and curative forms.
The primary reason for health tourism is cost-effectiveness and same accredited facilities at a
much lower cost. Both quantitative and qualitative shifts are being experienced in this sector.
Reasons for Growth of Health Care Tourism
I. Cost Effectiveness-: The first and the foremost benefit of healthcare tourism is cost-
effectiveness. With the help of tourism same treatments are offered at a cheaper cost as
compared to resident country so people to move to other country or area in order to get
same services at a cheaper price (Herrick, 2007).
II. Quality-: Another benefit is quality services. Nowadays people are so very conscious
about their health. They can move to any corner of the world for the best quality services.
So for better and best services healthcare tourism is growing faster.
III. The benefit of advanced technology-: With the help of health tourism benefits of
advanced technology can be received. There are many treatments which are not available
in the home country and can be availed by travelling to other destinations.
IV. Best Team of Doctors-: Health tourism give us the benefit of consultation by the best
team of doctors which helps us to get rid of disease easily and quickly.
V. Accessibility-: Waiting period in healthcare tourism is much less as compared to the
home country as there are fewer people to see a particular person and people taking prior
appointment are given priority (Horowitz, 2007).
London Approach or Market Segmentation
Market Segmentation-: is the process of dividing the total market into different segments
on the basis of different characteristics and capturing a particular segment on the basis of
common characteristics (Forgionie & Smith, 2007). Market segmentation is done in order

to understand the needs of a particular segment of the market and to make modifications
according to the customer. The main objective is to achieve customer satisfaction and to
provide services according to need.
Benefits of following London Approach
a) Better services-: If the strategy of market segmentation is adopted better services
can be provided to the customers. As we are capturing a particular segment we
will be able to understand the requirements of the customers and can provide
accordingly.
b) Growth-: As the company is providing services to a particular segment it achieves
speciality in that which helps in long-term growth of the company.
c) Market Share-: As the company is providing particular service to the target
market it helps in increasing market share as it becomes specialized in that
particular area which helps in capturing larger market share.
d) Customer Satisfaction-: As this approach is concerned with providing particular
services to a segment of the market only so customers receive quality services
which lead to customer satisfaction and loyalty.
e) Profit Potential-: As large number of homogenous customers will approach it
will lead to increase in profit of the company (Smith & Chanda, 2009).
f) Better Matching of Customer Needs-: It will help to match customer demands
with services. Market segmentation helps us to know what is the need of the
customer, what all services they require and accordingly those services can be
provided (Crooks & Kingsbury, 2010).
g) Sustainable Customer Relationship-: It helps to develop a sustainable
relationship with the customer. As the services are good enough to be provided to
target group it helps to develop a good relationship between customer and the
company. They will always look for the same company if next time services are
required.
h) Attract Additional Customer Groups-: Customer is the king of the market and a
satisfied customer attracts more customers by serving as an advertising media. If
the customer is satisfied with your services it will attract more customers which
will increase the profitability of the company.
i) Experience-: By providing a particular service company becomes experienced in
its field which attracts more customers (Hopkins & Runels, 2010).
j) Targeted Communication-: Market segmentation leads to targeted
communication between customer and company.

Marketing communication
Meaning of market communication-: refers to the means adopted by the company in order
to convey a message about the services offered by the company to its customer's.The main purpose of
the communication is to persuade the customer to avail the service or purchase the product.
Marketing communication in Health Care Tourism
a) Information about the Services-: Marketing communication will provide information about
the various services provided to the customers. It will contain details about the various services
like ambulance facilities, wheel-chair, availability of nurses etc (Pocock, 2010).
b) Booking Information-: It provides details about rooms available, price information, online
reservation, online payment and chances of a group reservation
c) Communication with Customers-: It involves communication with the customer regarding
food and drinks, online survey, an employee of the month and frequently coming customer
program.
d) Facilities Information-: It provides information about the various facilities being provided by
the hotel. It includes hotel photos, hotel location, room description, room photos, and facilities
of the hotel and concept of the hotel.
e) Surrounding area Information-: It provides information about the surrounding area. It
clarifies as to which other buildings or parks are surrounded by it.
f) Contact Information: It provides details about the contact person, the address of the hotel,
telephone number, e-mail address, emergency number and online forum.
g) Social Network-: We can provide information about the hotel and its services for particular
segment through Facebook or other social networking sites.
h) Public Relations-: Can also help in providing information about the services offered and
customer satisfaction.

Bibliography
Crooks, V. & Kingsbury, P., 2010. What is known about the patient's experience of medical tourism? A
scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 7(2), pp.260-66.
Forgione, D. & Smith, P., 2007. Medical tourism and its impact on the US healthcare system. Journal of
health care finance, 24(1), pp.27-35.
Herrick, D., 2007. Medical tourism: Global competition in health care. National Center for Policy Analysis,
20 November. p.316.
Hopkins, L. & Runels, V., 2010. Medical tourism today: What is the state of existing knowledge? Journal
of Public Health Policy, 31(2), pp.185-98.
Horowitz, M., 2007. Medical tourism-health care in the global economy. Physician executive.
Pocock, N., 2010. Medical tourism and policy implications for health systems: a conceptual framework
from a comparative study of Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. [Online] Available at
https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1744-8603-7-12.
Smith, R. & Chanda, R., 2009. Trade in health-related services. Trade and health: the need for a political
economic analysis, 373(14-20), pp.527-29.
Turner,.L., 2007. 'First world health care at third world prices': globalization, bioethics and medical
tourism. Malaysia: Springer Publications.