Medical tourism, also known as health tourism, is a relatively new industry that provides medical treatment and care to people who travel abroad to receive it.
It is not a branch of tourism in general but a separate service sphere for people with extensive health issues.
Medical tourism provides patients the possibility to look for diagnostic and treatment alternatives abroad when they are unable to receive proper healthcare services in their own country.
Reasons for choosing medical tourism can include poor state of medicine in the patient’s native country, lack of trust in the skills of local doctors, unsuccessful previous diagnostic tests and treatment, the desire to receive top-quality medical services, and availability of innovative treatment methods abroad.
Kinds of Medical Tourism
Medical tourism market can be roughly divided into several areas:
Treatment abroad: includes only offers related directly to the health problems
Aesthetic procedures: plastic surgery, cosmetology, and aesthetic dentistry
Diagnostic programs: popular among patients whom doctors in their homeland cannot establish a certain diagnosis. Also, those people who doubt their diagnosis go for diagnostics abroad
Spa treatment: a branch of health tourism, but not for direct treatment. This kind of medical tourism is chosen by people with minor chronic diseases, as well as for prevention and relaxation.
Popular Treatment Destinations Abroad
The most popular destinations for medical tourism according to the International Association of Medical Tourism are:
Plastic surgery and dentistry: hospitals in Turkey, South Korea, and Thailand
Cardiology and cardiac surgery: German hospitals
Orthopedics and traumatology: hospitals in Germany and the Czech Republic
Oncology and oncologic hematology: United States, Germany, Israel, Turkey, and South Korea
Transplantation: Turkey and India
Neurology: Germany, Israel, and Turkey
IVF and childbirth: Turkish hospitals, USA, and Thailand
Diagnostics: Germany and Israel
Rehabilitation: Germany, Turkey, and Israel
Arranging Your Medical Travel
Patients should take several considerations into account when arranging medical travel:
- Choose a reputable medical tourism agency or hospital
- Research the destination country’s healthcare system and regulations
- Check the qualifications of doctors and the quality of facilities and equipment
- Take into account the cost of treatment and travel expenses
- Plan for post-treatment recovery time
Insuring the Medical Tour
Patients should consider purchasing medical tourism insurance to cover potential risks and complications that may arise during their medical travel.
Medical tourism insurance can also provide coverage for additional travel expenses and emergency medical transportation.
