Medical Tourism: A Dispassionate Review of Global Healthcare Trends

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of medical tourism, examining its multifaceted aspects within the context of globalization. It defines medical tourism and explores its economic and social drivers, highlighting the historical background and the multi-billion dollar commerce it represents. The essay delves into the advantages and disadvantages for both developing and developed countries. For developing nations, it discusses the benefits of lower healthcare costs, access to advanced technology, and increased GDP, while also addressing potential drawbacks such as medical malpractice and post-operative care issues. In contrast, the essay analyzes how developed countries face challenges such as aging populations and pressure on healthcare systems. The essay concludes by offering a balanced perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of medical tourism, emphasizing its potential to improve healthcare options and boost national economies.

Running Head: MEDICAL TOURISM
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Medical tourism
student
4/8/2019

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Table of Contents
Medical tourism..........................................................................................................................................2
Economic and social reasons...................................................................................................................2
Developing countries...............................................................................................................................3
Developed countries................................................................................................................................4
References...................................................................................................................................................5

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Medical tourism
Medical tourism refers to the individuals travelling to the other country to obtain medicinal
treatment. The domestic medical tourism is described as where the people who live in one city ad
travel to another city for the dental, surgical, and medical treatment. Most the people or patients
travel to another city or country to receive better quality of care (Connell 1093-1100).
Economic and social reasons
Medical tourism is associated with the broader concept of health travel which, in certain
countries, has ancient historical backgrounds of spa towns and seaside areas, and other
therapeutic sites. Some critics have measured wellbeing and medical travel as a combined
singularity but with dissimilar emphases. Medical Travel is multi-billion dollar commerce. The
moral and socio-economic influence of this commercial practice has yet to be completely
analysed (Horowitz, Jeffrey, and Christopher 33). Certain consider that the worldwide standards
of upkeep, quality, information transfer and scheme funding linked to medical tourism results in
better systems of upkeep and a whole positive influence on excellence of care brought in
developing nations. Cross boundary tourism is progressively becoming one of the main funders
to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation in which it is a recognized commerce. It is
likewise accountable for making occupation opportunities. Medical travel does additional than
just generate employment and upsurge the GDP of a country. Impacts of medical travel on the
society are deep and important as well (Connell 1093-1100). Augmented demand for wellbeing
services induces equal upsurge in the country’s responsiveness towards the similar. It results in
augmented investments in the wellbeing and associated sectors. Therefore a development in the
substructure, public conveyance, health policy recruiting, etc., is also perceived. Increase in the

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cross boundary exchange of medical travellers between two or additional nation’s outcomes in
fostering progressive relations between their leading bodies (Herrick 2-3).
Developing countries
Advantages
The main advantage of medical tourism in developing or less wealthy nations is the little cost
health upkeep facility, Technical progressions and highly educated surgeons, Obtainability of
latest medicinal instruments, great health upkeep standards accessible (Health tourism). Another
benefit is that there is no verbal barrier as English is extensively spoken crossways in different
developing countries like India. Furthermore numerous hospitals in developing nations hire
native interpreters for patients from countries like Africa so that they can connect efficiently.
Medical travel also deal with relaxed visa guidelines, for example Visa on India arrival for
diseased person from particular countries, Obtainability of low price generic drugs (Beladi, et al.,
391-396).
Disadvantages
Some of the drawbacks include medical malpractice, insurance coverage, post operation
recovery, and ravel cost. Misdiagnosis throughout the cure can outcome in unforeseen costs even
though clinics provide malpractice assurance. And since tourists are not conscious of the lawful
rules in developing nations, this can source further dilemmas (Herrick 2-3). Maximum of the
times afterward the medical processes, diseased person have to do tedious wellbeing check with
the similar hospital. Nonetheless problems arise when the retrieval time of practice is lengthier

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and in such type of cases remedial tourists in developing countries have to organize stays
outdoor the hospice on individual level (Smith and Dana 19-30).
Developed countries
Advantages
Certain health tourism terminuses provide substitute medicines and traditional practice of cures.
Patients request to take substitute drugs like Ayurveda choose for health travel. The medical
tourism helps in the increase GDP. It gives the boost for the hospitals in developed countries.
The medical tourism in the developed countries increases the chances to attract more investors in
the medical setting (Gray, and Susan 193-201).
Disadvantages
The advanced prices of ageing care in old people form developed countries are placing pressure
on healthcare schemes. The lengthier waiting lists and medicinal increase cause numerous older
persons to seek substitute, cheaper treatments overseas. This might influences the GDP of the
countries. The medial tourism gives options for the patients top receive health care service in
other countries. This enhances the lack of believe in the health care system of the country.
I think medical tourism have both advantages and disadvantaged for different countries. But it is
more beneficial than its disadvantages. According to me it gives a boost to the GDP of the
nations and provides multiple choices a better treatment options for the patient (Han and
Sunghyup 20-29).

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References
Beladi, Hamid, et al. "Medical tourism and health worker migration in developing
countries." Economic Modelling 46 (2015): 391-396.
Connell, John. "Medical tourism: Sea, sun, sand and… surgery." Tourism management 27.6
(2006): 1093-1100.
Gray, Harriet Hutson, and Susan Cartier Poland. "Medical tourism: crossing borders to access
health care." Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 18.2 (2008): 193-201.
Han, Heesup, and Sunghyup Sean Hyun. "Customer retention in the medical tourism industry:
Impact of quality, satisfaction, trust, and price reasonableness." Tourism Management 46 (2015):
20-29.
Herrick, Devon M. "Medical tourism: Global competition in health care." National Center for
Policy Analysis 1 (2007): 2-3.
Horowitz, Michael D., Jeffrey A. Rosensweig, and Christopher A. Jones. "Medical tourism:
globalization of the healthcare marketplace." Medscape General Medicine 9.4 (2007): 33.
Smith, Pamela C., and Dana A. Forgione. "Global outsourcing of healthcare: a medical tourism
decision model." Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research 9.3 (2007):
19-30.
Health tourism. Medical tourism benefots and advantages. Health tourism 2019.

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