INDIVIDUAL PROJECT

Medical Tourism

On

Jasmine Thomas
MGMT 798- BANGKOK
University of Baltimore
Introduction

For many years, people have traveled domestically or internationally to seek medical

attention; this is called Medical Tourism. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) refers medical

tourism as traveling to another country for medical care. The term is also defined as the

organized travel outside one’s natural healthcare jurisdiction for the enhancement or restoration

of the individual’s health through medical intervention (James, 2012). Medical tourism is a

multi-billion-dollar industry and it continues to grow. The impressive thing about this industry is

the amount of resources countries are putting in to attracting the medical tourist by offering high

quality, low cost, specialized care with concierge and hospitality benefits. According to Medical

Tourism Fact and Figures 2015, about 6 billion people travel for medical treatment from one

country to another and if you add in those who travel a distance with in a country- it exceeds 10

billion a year (Sandberg, 2017).

This industry involves about 50 countries in all continents with several Asian countries

who are in the lead, which include India, Singapore, and Thailand. These three countries

combined comprised about 90% of the medical market share in Asia in 2008 (NaRanong

&NaRanong, 2008). The global gross profit from medical tourism has been estimated to be about

60 billion dollars per year and grows by about 20% annually (Noree, Hanefel, and Smith, 2016).

One of the main reasons for the active development of medical tourism is the significant

difference in the level of healthcare and the cost of treatment in different countries. People who

do not have the opportunity to obtain certain medical care in their own country, or do not want to

wait, often find similar medical care abroad at lower prices and without delay (Veselova, 2017).

Medical tourists travel to other countries to have many different medical treatments and/ or

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procedures done. Some of these specialties include cosmetic surgery, cardiovascular,

orthopedics, cancer, reproductive, weight loss, and etc.

According to Erik Cohen, an emeritus professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,

there are five types of medical tourist. They include the mere tourist, medicated tourist, medical

tourist proper, vacationing patient, and mere patient. Cohen based these types on the extent to

which medical treatment play a role in their motivation for the trip, relative to vacationing. A

mere tourist is one who does not partake in any use of medical services in the host country

during their visit. A medicated tourist is one who receives medical treatment for accidents and

health problems incidentally encountered in course of their stay in the host country. A medical

tourist proper is an individual whose visit to the host country includes both tourism as well as

medical treatment. A vacationing patient is an individual who visits the host country mainly for

medical treatment but makes use of vacationing opportunities after an operation or treatment. A

mere patient is an individual who visits the country solely for medical treatment and does not

make use of any vacationing opportunities (Cohen, 2008).

Many medical tourists come from the United States and Europe, where a high level of

medical equipment is combined with paralleled high prices for medical services. In the United

States, this travel for care option has become very popular since the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

passed a bill that mandated that employers provide health insurance benefits for their employees.

The growing medical tourism industry have attracted many governments in which they are

partnering with their hospitals to market their country as a go to place for care (Sandberg 2017).

The key role in the development of medical tourism as an industry belongs specifically to the

government. In many leading countries, medical tourism has been developing successfully for a

long time. The popularity and economic importance of the tourism sector associated with

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obtaining high tech medical services is rapidly growing (Veselova, 2017). Some of these

countries that offer medical services to foreign patients are Thailand, India, Brazil, South Africa,

Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, and the Philippines.

Thailand

One of the countries where medical tourism has emerged so rapidly is Thailand. The

country has a reputation for great hospitality and the friendliness of its people. Thailand, also

known as “the land of smiles”, offers a wide variety of hospitals and clinics that specialize in

cosmetic procedures and cater to Westerners, who are attracted to the low rates and exotic

surroundings (Budman, 2003). Approximately 2.5 million foreign patients traveled to hospitals

in Thailand in 2013 (Sandberg, 2017). Also, the country has the most greatly developed medical

sector in Southeast Asia, with about 700 governmental and 300 private hospitals. During the 19th

century, the country endured a steady transition from Eastern to Western medicine. As a fully

established business, medicine developed in Thailand only in the last decades of the 20th century,

with the expanding of private hospitals and specialized clinics (Cohen, 2008).

Since 2003, the Thai Government has attempted to make Thailand a global center for

medical tourism through a Centre of Excellent Health Care of Asia initiative. The Thai health

system is largely public, though, private hospitals have a proportionately larger role in Bangkok

and other urban areas, such as Chang Mai. The results of a recent case study indicated that

medical tourism is on such a small scale in Thailand that its effect on the domestic health system

is marginal (Noree, Hanefel, and Smith, 2016).

Advantages

Economics

Yahnee Hospital

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Johns Hopkins Hospital

JHH vs. Yahnee Hospital

Yahnee Hospital center is globally known for its plastic and cosmetic services, however,

the facility does provide a range of other medical services, as well as dental treatments. When a

perspective patient visits their website, it is very easy to maneuver, and the home page is very

intriguing and inviting. There is an abundance of factual information on each of the different

procedures/ services that are performed at the hospital. For instance, if a person wants to go there

and get a tummy tuck, they can find descriptive information on the procedure from beginning to

end. Information such as preparing for a tummy tuck in Thailand, the risks and safety

information, the procedure and results, before and after photos, the recovery, and prices and

packages. It also includes testimonials and available doctors. Providing this much information is

a great marketing strategy because it portrays to the patient what the hospital specifically has to

offer.

In contrast to Yahnee Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) provides a wide range of

medical procedures and treatments. The hospital does have a plastic and reconstructive surgery

center; however, their facility offers a lot more surgery and treatment services than Yahnee

Hospital. JHH’s website does not provide as much information about the services offered like

Yahnee Hospital’s website. For instance, if a perspective patient visits JHH website and wants to

get a tummy tuck, there is very minimum information about this surgical procedure. The

information that is provided includes the different tummy tuck procedures, what to expect, and

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the recovery of a tummy tuck. They also provide a list of available doctors like Yahnee Hospital;

however, the list only includes one surgeon. The list of doctors could be limited because not

many people go to JHH to have a tummy tuck done.

Conclusion

Medical tourism was once perceived as an inexpensive venture taken mostly by rich and

wealthy individuals. It has increased in part because of rising health-care costs in developed

countries, cross-border medical training and widespread air travel (NaRanong & NaRanong,

2011). Almost one million US residents travel abroad for medical care annually (Coren, 2018).

Many people enjoy the experience of medical tourism because they are able to vacation while

enhancing their health at a low cost. There are definitely opportunities for growth in this

healthcare industry and medical tourism may influence the future of how and where healthcare is

delivered.

Without a doubt, there are risks involved with medical tourism. Hygiene is a risk in

developing countries because it may be taken more lightly. For instance, doctors may use the

same needles for several patients. This can definitely transfer diseases amongst patients. Another

risk is the failings of the procedures. There is no guarantee that the results and experience will be

positive. In this occurrence, patients are forced to contact their health insurance to try and fix the

issue, which can be very costly for both parties. Lastly, people often neglect that flying after

surgery increases the risk for blood clots (Coren, 2018). Sitting in one spot on an airplane for

15+ hours can potentially negatively affect one’s health after a major surgery.

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