Medical Tourism: Globalization of the Healthcare Marketplace - Research Paper Example

? Medical Tourism Institute Medical Tourism Human beings have progressed from an era of Stone Age to a period of development and globalization. There was a time when it was considered that the ill deeds of the people were the reason for their pathologies. But at this stage, the understanding of human disease has greatly progressed and developed. The healthcare services have also flourished and people can now opt for the best treatments available across the globe. The twenty first century has shown a great boom in the international health industry and there has been emergence of facilities for the patients that could not be thought of before. Medical tourism is one such phenomenon which highlights the globalization of the health sector and it presents with the advancements that have been attained in the field of medicine (Bennett 2008; Connell 2007; Reisman 2010). Medical tourism is a concept whereby individuals travel to other countries for the purpose of availing healthcare facilities in countries other than their homeland. The notion was initially considered to be restricted to the residents of developing countries as people travelled from these countries to the developed ones in search of the best available healthcare treatments. But this horizon has now expanded and people from developed countries have also started engaging in the practice of medical tourism. In the year 2004, it was seen that the number of patients who visited India for the purpose of medical treatment were 1.2 million whereas 1.1 million people went to Thailand for the same purpose. The concept of medical tourism has also gained popularity amongst the citizens of the United States and it was estimated that in the year 2007 approximately 750,000 Americans would travel abroad for acquiring healthcare services (Horowitz et al 2007). Medical tourism is a branch of tourism which has existed for a long time but in different forms. Many travelers used to visit countries for the purpose of rehabilitation or availing spa facilities. Therefore, the utilization of tourism for healthcare has been in existence before the coining of this term. But medical tourism is a broader term which utilizes all forms of healthcare that can be availed. The procedures that can be opted for in medical tourism may be elective that is cosmetic surgeries or they may be non elective procedures like hernia repairs and hip replacements. Medical tourism has peaked owing to many underlying causes. These include the emergence of legal and ethical boundaries for availing healthcare facilities. For instance, the practice of euthanasia is illegal in Britain and people therefore have to travel to other countries like Switzerland if they wish to opt for this practice. Other reasons include the better healthcare options that are available in other countries of the world. The healthcare cost is also a factor that has led many people to travel to developing countries to opt for medical procedures. This is because there is a substantial difference in the healthcare cost in comparison to the home country of these people (Connell 2007; Knox 2005). Medical tourism has many benefits which may explain the reason why this practice has gained much popularity amongst the masses. The health sector in the United States of America is becoming increasingly costly and therefore it now lies beyond the approach of many individuals to avail healthcare procedures. It has been seen that even simple dentistry treatments are being overcharged for. Furthermore, the life expectancy of the individuals in the country has also increased. This means that there is a greater aging population and therefore a greater need for healthcare treatments but there are lesser resources and staff to handle these patients. There are also many loopholes in the insurance policies and many individuals still remain uninsured in the country. It is at this point that medical tourism proves to be very beneficial for the people residing in the country. The easy access of travelling and lower costs prove to be very advantageous for these patients who may avail the best healthcare services abroad in much lower costs in comparison to the hospitals in the United States. Thus it is economically beneficial for the people who cannot afford the high health care costs (Connell 2007; Knox 2005). Medical tourism also holds the advantage of promoting the understanding of cultures and therefore, promotes harmony and better ties amongst different countries. Many people avail the facilities of medical tourism for this purpose. Patients wish to visit a new place where they can see other cultures and are treated in different hospital settings than their own. This is to overcome the dilemma associated with undergoing surgical procedures. The different environment that is provided to the patient proves to be helpful during the hospital stay. Furthermore, it also lays a burden on the hospital that receives foreign patients and therefore, these hospitals tend to provide with the best healthcare services possible. They create the best atmosphere for the patient and create a patient friendly environment to promote their hospitals. Therefore, medical tourism holds the advantage of cultural harmony and at the same time it tends to provide the patient with the most suitable healthcare treatment forms (Connell 2007; Reisman 2010). Medical tourism can also be helpful for people who wish to avail procedures that are not performed in their country or if the procedures are highly expensive. Another reason that may make people opt for this decision is the fact that in certain procedures the patients may wish to keep their procedures secret or at places away from their places of residence. These include sex change surgeries or the availing of fertilization techniques (Horowitz et al 2007). Medical tourism is considered to be very beneficial but there are many drawbacks of this concept that have been highlighted by experts. Follow up visits and regular monitoring after surgical procedures is an essential part of medical practice. This is because it tends to ensure of the success of surgical procedures and excludes any complications that may develop post surgically. The patients lack this major facility if they opt for medical tourism. This is because they have to return to their homeland and they may be unable to visit their doctor regularly. The patient may bring all their records back but the direct association with the physician is lost. The importance of this contact has been correctly highlighted by Josef Woodman who has written a perfect guide on medical tourism. According to him, “Orthopedic and nonemergency heart procedures have some of the highest success rates. But with something like cancer, you need the ongoing relationship with your oncologist and health care team.” (Konrad 2009) Medical tourism is accomplished with the assistance of many agencies and there is always a middleman involved in making the arrangements for this travel. This is also a negative aspect of medical tourism as the chances of scam and deception can be very high. This is owing to the fact that many undependable and untrustworthy organizations have also started working in the field. The patient may be connected to the wrong hospital which does not provide with the best healthcare facilities and he may be overcharged for the services that are given to him as well (Konrad 2009). Medical tourism as the name indicates requires travelling to distant locations. This in itself is a negative point of medical tourism. Travelling can be problematic for patients as they may develop problems during the travelling period. For instance, the formation or dislodgement of clots may occur during the air travel. Furthermore, the patients have to be far away from their home. Because of this, there is lack of emotional care and support of family and relatives and the patient may feel isolated and depressed. Despite of the welcoming conditions, a few patients may also find it difficult to adapt to the new place (Konrad 2009). The department of medical tourism is developing across the world and much is being done to overcome the hurdles in this field. The hospitals form an integral and important part of the network of medical tourism. Many essential strategies need to be implemented by the hospitals to be an active part of the medical tourism network. The hospitals need to hire skilled professionals who possess capabilities and experience as per the international level and requirements. The staff and the healthcare teams should be trained in a way that they create a very suitable environment for the foreign patients. The staff and physicians should be taught to follow the international health protocols for the patients. They should also be updated with the new medical technological advancements and developments. The hospitals should also work towards the improvement of their infrastructure by updating the hospital equipments and machineries. Latest technologies and methodologies should be incorporated into medical practice (Bennett 2008; Reisman 2010). The satisfaction of the patient as well as quality healthcare service should be the primary goal of the hospitals. The hospitals should create the most appropriate environment for the foreign patients and work towards improvement of their standards. The patients should also be connected with the outside world so that they may be able to experience the new country. Marketing strategies are also of utmost importance for the hospitals to become incorporated into the medical tourism network. The management should opt for targeting the appropriate patients in the fields where their hospital staff holds much expertise to ensure that the patients receive the best treatment available and to ensure the flow of more patients (Bennett 2008; Reisman 2010). References Bennett, B. (2008). Health law's kaleidoscope: Health law rights in a global age. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Connell, J. (2011). Medical tourism. Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI. Horowitz, M. D., Rosensweig, J. A., & Jones, C. A. (January 01, 2007). Medical tourism: globalization of the healthcare marketplace. Medgenmed : Medscape General Medicine, 9, 4.) Knox, N. (2005, November 22). An agonizing debate about euthanasia. USA TODAY. Retrieved from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-11-22-euthanasia_x.htm Konrad, W. (2009, March 20). Going Abroad to Find Affordable Health Care. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/health/21patient.html Reisman, D. A. (2010). Health tourism: Social welfare through international trade. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Read More