Volume 5, Issue 2 (6-2021)
EBHPME 2021, 5(2): 78-89 |
Back to browse issues page
Trauma Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran , mh.dehghani1199@gmail.com
Abstract: (1308 Views)
Introduction: Medical tourism is a fast-growing industry that has provided special opportunities for international organizations to achieve a competitive advantage. This research has been conducted to recognize and prioritize the factors affecting the admission of medical centers into the medical tourism market in Iran.
Methods: The combined study was conducted in two qualitative stages and hierarchical analysis in governmental and non-governmental centers related to medical tourism on 15 experts and specialists in the qualitative stage and 25 people in a quantitative stage. The interview guide was used to collect data in the qualitative stage and the pairwise comparison questionnaire was used in the hierarchical analysis stage. Qualitative phase results were analyzed by conceptual framework method and quantitative phase results were analyzed by AHP method applying 11 Expert Choice software.
Results: 41 sub-themes were identified in the qualitative stage, which were categorized into six groups: service quality, infrastructure, human, information, economic and political. The highest weight or priority was related to the diversity and quality of services and the lowest weight or priority was associated with the field of information and marketing among the six factors based on the Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) method.
Conclusion: The most significant factor for medical centers to join the health tourism market is to focus on the quality of provided services based on the results. It is recommended that medical centers provide all services from the time of admission to follow-up after discharge in the context of intelligent and web-based systems in order to strengthen the quality of services, in addition to standardize departments and treatment processes according to international standards.
Methods: The combined study was conducted in two qualitative stages and hierarchical analysis in governmental and non-governmental centers related to medical tourism on 15 experts and specialists in the qualitative stage and 25 people in a quantitative stage. The interview guide was used to collect data in the qualitative stage and the pairwise comparison questionnaire was used in the hierarchical analysis stage. Qualitative phase results were analyzed by conceptual framework method and quantitative phase results were analyzed by AHP method applying 11 Expert Choice software.
Results: 41 sub-themes were identified in the qualitative stage, which were categorized into six groups: service quality, infrastructure, human, information, economic and political. The highest weight or priority was related to the diversity and quality of services and the lowest weight or priority was associated with the field of information and marketing among the six factors based on the Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) method.
Conclusion: The most significant factor for medical centers to join the health tourism market is to focus on the quality of provided services based on the results. It is recommended that medical centers provide all services from the time of admission to follow-up after discharge in the context of intelligent and web-based systems in order to strengthen the quality of services, in addition to standardize departments and treatment processes according to international standards.
Type of Study: Original article |
Subject:
Health Policy
Received: 2021/01/10 | Accepted: 2021/06/29 | Published: 2021/06/29
Received: 2021/01/10 | Accepted: 2021/06/29 | Published: 2021/06/29
References
1. Zia Sheikholeslami N, Rezaeian M, Behsoun M, Taghavipour M. The knowledge and attitude of doctors and nurses and student Rafsanjan University of medical sciences regarding medical tourism in 2007. Iranian Journal of Epidemiology. 2007; 5(4): 31-6.
2. Williams D, Seus J. Medical tourism: implications for participants in the US health care system. Retrieved January, 15, 2013.
3. Sengupta A, Nundy S. The private health sector in India. Bmj. 2005; 331(7526): 1157-8. [DOI:10.1136/bmj.331.7526.1157]
4. Gilmartin M, White A. Interrogating medical tourism: Ireland, abortion, and mobility rights. Signs. 2014; 40(1(.
5. Horowitz MD, Rosensweig JA, Jones CA. Medical tourism: globalization of the healthcare marketplace. Medscape General Medicine. 2007; 9(4): 33.
6. Lunt NT, Mannion R, Exworthy M. A framework for exploring the policy implications of UK medical tourism and international patient flows. Social Policy & Administration. 2013; 47(1): 1-25. [DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9515.2011.00833.x]
7. Gupta AS. Medical tourism in India: winners and losers. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. 2008; 5(1): 4-5. [DOI:10.20529/IJME.2008.002]
8. Wong KM, Musa G. Medical tourism in Asia: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and India. Medical tourism: the ethics, regulation, and marketing of health mobility London and New York: Routledge. 2012; 167-86.
9. Prideaux B, Timothy D, Chon K. Cultural and heritage tourism in Asia and the Pacific: Routledge; 2013. [DOI:10.4324/9781315879079]
10. Fried BJ, Harris DM. Managing healthcare services in the global marketplace. Frontiers of Health Services Management. 2006; 24(2): 3-18. [DOI:10.1097/01974520-200710000-00002]
11. Purandare N. Health Tourism-Global Positioning of India. Sai Om Journal of Commerce & Management: A Peer Reviewed National Journal (Online ISSN 2347-7563). 2014; 1(6): 7-17.
12. Shalbafian A. Health tourism development strategies; a medical tourism perspective. Tehran: Allameh Tabatabai University; 2006.
13. Jabbari A. Designing a model for Iran medical tourism [Thesis]. Tehran: School of Management and Medical Information, Iran University Medical Sciences. 2009.
14. Ayoubian A. Health Tourism in Iran. Current Issues and Emerging Trends in Medical Tourism. 2015: 258. [DOI:10.4018/978-1-4666-8574-1.ch019]
15. Goodarzi M, Haghtalab N, Shamshiry E. Wellness tourism in Sareyn, Iran: resources, planning and development. Current Issues in Tourism. 2015; (ahead-of-print): 1-6. [DOI:10.1080/13683500.2015.1012192]
16. Tarighat Monfared MH, Akhavan Behbahani A, Hassanzadeh A. Principles And Basis of The National Health Policy (A Comparative Study). Tehran: The Office of Social Studies Majlis Research Centre (MRC) Publication; 2008.
17. 17 .Izadi M, Ayoobian A, Nasiri T, Joneidi N, Fazel M, Hosseinpourfard M. Situation of health tourism in Iran; opportunity or threat. MilMed Journal. 2012; 14(2): 69-75.
18. Tasan M. Study of the status of the tourism and transport services market in the countries members of the D-8 Group, MSc Thesis. Tehran: Faculty of human sciences, Tarbiat modares University; 2006.
19. Santos MA, Passos SR. International trade in health services and the medical industrial complex: implications for national health systems. Cad Saude Publica. 2010; 26(8): 1483-93. [DOI:10.1590/S0102-311X2010000800003]
20. Rahimipour A. Statistical analysis of the world tourism industry, future markets and the position of Iran. Journal of Tourism. 2012; 1(1): 1-18.
21. Highlights T. World Tourism Organization. Data as collected by UNWTO. August 2012 Madrid, Spain. Madrid; 2011. p 74-80.
22. Bookman MZ, Bookman KR. Medical tourism in developing countries: Palgrave Macmillan New York; 2007. [DOI:10.1057/9780230605657]
23. Ayoubian A, Tourani S, Dehaghi ZH. Medical Tourism Attraction of Tehran Hospitals. International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health. 2014; 1(2): 95-8.
24. Badiei F, Ebrahimi A, Didekhani H. Medical tourism development in golestan province; an assessment of identified solutions. New Marketing Research Journal. 2017; 6(4): 25-36.
25. Tourani S, Tabibi SJ, Tofighi S, Shaarbafchi Zadeh N. Medical Tourism in Iran: Analysis of Opportunities and Challenges with MADM Approach. Res J Biol Sci. 2010; 5(3): 251-7. [DOI:10.3923/rjbsci.2010.251.257]
26. Bagheri Tolaroud P, Ghaed Choukami Z, Golshani M. Investigating the factors
27. affecting the effective factors in the development of medical tourism. Journal of Management and Medical Informatics School. 2017; 3(3).
28. Ye B, Yuen P, Qiu H, Zhang V, editors. Motivation of medical tourists: An exploratory case study of Hong Kong medical tourists. Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) Annual Conference, Bangkok, Thailand; 2008.
29. Kim S, Lee J, Jung J. Assessment of medical tourism development in Korea for the achievement of competitive advantages. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. 2013; 18(5): 421-45. [DOI:10.1080/10941665.2012.658416]
30. Chen P-T, Kung R-H, Huang MY, Chen F-D, Pei L. Exploring the medical tourism development barriers and participation willingness in taiwan: An example of mainland tourist. Proceedings of World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology. 2012; 68.
31. Chee HL. Medical tourism in Malaysia: international movement of healthcare consumers and the commodification of healthcare. 2007. [DOI:10.2139/ssrn.1317163]
32. Carruth PJ, Carruth AK. The financial and cost accounting implications of medical tourism. International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER). 2010; 9(8). [DOI:10.19030/iber.v9i8.619]
33. Torabipour A, Qolipour M, Qolipour K. Medical tourism services quality analysis: a systematic review. International Journal of Medical Reviews. 2017; 3(2): 449-57.
34. Pan T-J, Chen W-C. Chinese medical tourists-Their perceptions of Taiwan. Tourism Management. 2014; 44: 108-12. [DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2014.02.008]
35. Han H, Hyun SS. Customer retention in the medical tourism industry: Impact of quality, satisfaction, trust, and price reasonableness. Tourism management. 2015; 20: 46-9. [DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2014.06.003]
36. Chomvilailuk R, Srisomyong N. Three dimensional perceptions of medical/health travelers and destination brand choices: Cases of Thailand. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2015; 175: 376-83. [DOI:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.1213]
37. Prideaux B. The role of the transport system in destination development. Tourism Management. 2000; 21(1): 53-63. [DOI:10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00079-5]
38. Katircioglu ST. Revisiting the tourism-led-growth hypothesis for Turkey using the bounds test and Johansen approach for cointegration. Tourism Management. 2009; 30(1): 17-20. [DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2008.04.004]
39. Lee CG. Health care and tourism: Evidence from Singapore. Tourism Management. 2010; 31(4): 486-8. [DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2009.05.002]
40. 39 .Hoseinpour R, Riyahi L. Relationship between medical therapy tourism and the rate of tourism attraction in Ardabil province. Journal of Health. 2018; 9(2): 159-71. [DOI:10.29252/j.health.9.2.159]
41. Crooks VA, Kingsbury P, Snyder J, Johnston R. What is known about the patient's experience of medical tourism? A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research. 2010; 10(1): 1-12. [DOI:10.1186/1472-6963-10-266]
42. Lehman M, Kurecic P. THE POSSIBILITES OF HEALTH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTINENTAL REGION OF CROATIA. Economic and Social Development: Book of Proceedings. 2016; 282.
43. Delgoshaie B, Jabbari AR, Farzin MR, Sherbafchizadeh N, Tabibi SJ. Current medical tourism in Iran: A case study. Payesh(Health Monitor). 2012; 11(2): 171-9.
44. 43 .Mohammadi S, Khaldi F. Analysis of Affecting Factors the Health and Satisfaction of foreign tourists (Case Study: Iraqi Kurdistan's Tourists). Urban Tourism. 2019; 6(3): 1-16.
45. Mehdizadeh N, Amir A. Investigating the role of factors affecting to satisfaction rate of Therapeutic Tourists in Ahwaz city with emphasizing to foreign tourists. Geographical Quarterly of Tourism Spac. 2018; 7(28): 17-34.
46. Karoubi M. The Role of Electronic Tourism in the Development of Medical Tourism in Mashhad. Social Development & Welfare Planning. 2020; 11(42): 235-72.
47. Nikbin D, Batouei A, Iranmanesh M, Kim K, Hyun SS. Hospital prestige in medical tourism: empirical evidence from Malaysia. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 2019; 36(4): 521-35. [DOI:10.1080/10548408.2019.1582397]
48. 47 .Mosavi-Negad M, Adeli O, Hariri T, Vali-pour N, Meshkani Z. The potential of medical tourist's attraction in hospitals:(a case study of a military hospitals in Tehran). Hospital. 2016; 15(3): 63-71.
49. Nikraftar T, Hosseini E, Moghadam A. Identify factors affecting medical tourism attraction in Iran. Journal of Health Administration. 2017; 20(67): 64-74.
50. Martin DS, Ramamonjiarivelo Z, Martin WS. MEDTOUR: a scale for measuring medical tourism intentions. Tourism Review. 2011. [DOI:10.1108/16605371111127233]
51. Viladrich A, Baron-Faust R. Medical tourism in tango paradise: The internet branding of cosmetic surgery in Argentina. Annals of Tourism Research. 2014; 45: 116-31. [DOI:10.1016/j.annals.2013.12.007]
52. Yeoh E, Othman K, Ahmad H. Understanding medical tourists: Word-of-mouth and viral marketing as potent marketing tools. Tourism Management. 2013; 34: 196-201. [DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2012.04.010]
53. De Arellano ABR. Patients without borders: the emergence of medical tourism. International Journal of Health Services. 2007; 37(1): 193-8. [DOI:10.2190/4857-468G-2325-47UU]
54. Bovier PA. Medical tourism: a new kind of traveler? Revue Médicale Suisse. 2008; 4(157): 1198-201.
55. 54 .Maboodi MT, Hakimi H. Determinant factors on medical tourism (Case study: Iran). Journal of Tourism Planning and Development. 2016; 4(15): 80-106.
56. Hajinejad A, Anabestani A, Safarian M. Strategic planning of medical tourism with an emphasis on religious tourism in Mashhad city. Geographical Researches Quarterly Journal. 2016; 31(2): 101-14.
57. Naami A, Chatrooz A. Systematic review of medical tourism in Iran and case study of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Journal of Payavard Salamat. 2018; 11(5): 598-609.
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |