StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Health and Medical Tourism - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
In the paper “Health and Medical Tourism” the author investigates health tourism as an increasingly popular trend in the hospitality industry, with considerable prospects for growth in the future. Health travel is a relatively new industry with the potential to create increasing numbers of jobs. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.9% of users find it useful
Health and Medical Tourism
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Health and Medical Tourism"

Health and Medical Tourism of the of the School/ Health and Medical Tourism Introduction Health tourism also known asmedical tourism is a relatively new dimension of the hospitality industry. Traditional routes to health care are changing as a result of health tourism, a new subcategory of healthcare. Medical tourism often integrates health care with a foreign vacation, thus “every year thousands of patients leave their homeland to seek treatment abroad” (Goldbach and West, 2010, p.52) . An important reason for health tourism is the financial savings that can be ensured by obtaining specific medical treatments from particular destinations.

Patients’ travel is facilitated by websites and travel agents providing well-developed programmes which include all the required services from travel and hospitality to hospital services. With patients traveling around the globe, services have to meet international standards. Organisations such as the Junior Chamber International (JCI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have instituted standards of care; however international health care requires a regulatory body. Insurance companies support health tourism, and increasing telehealth services facilitate patient-physician communication irrespective of location.

With the increasing popularity of health tourism, greater promotion of global patient safety and legal support may be required. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate health tourism as an increasingly popular trend in the hospitality industry, with considerable prospects for growth in the future. Health Care Tourism: A New Phenomenon in the Hospitality Industry Health travel is a relatively new industry with the potential to create increasing numbers of jobs and wealth.

Travel for medical treatments includes the benefits of lower costs, shorter waiting times, different services, and the chance to combine recreational tourism with a check-up or an operation, while simultaneously providing patients with high quality care at an affordable price. Patients are no longer bound to their home country for medical attention. They are travelling to Mexico, India and Thailand for a heart bypass, and to Hungary, Poland and Malaysia for dentistry, states Reisman (2010). Doctors from across the globe are migrating to Britain, the United States of America and Canada to experience new challenges in their field.

Hospitals are building new branches in Dubai, the Philippines and Costa Rica to see overseas patients without delay. Thus, the benefits to both importing and exporting nations are very high, as seen from combining academic perspectives from medicine, tourism, health economics, development studies and public policy. However, there is a need for regulation and support in order for best outcomes for the local population and for patients who travel abroad for treatment. According to Harrington (2007, p.81), “the globalisation of healthcare provision is having a profound effect on the British National Health Service (NHS).

Developed as a state-run, taxpayer-funded service in 1948, it continued in this form for nearly three decades of post-Keynesian restructuring. Only from 1997, under the Labour government the basis form of the NHS began to change. Current British global reforms both impact and are influenced by the broader world-wide trend towards the marketisation of health care, and a more complete integration of health work into the global market. The Costs and Quality of Health Tourism The increasing popularity of medical tourism all over the world is due to several factors including the cost savings and recuperation in the sunshine.

Some may go for treatment that they do not want their friends or family to know about, thus getting plastic surgery or other cosmetic treatments done anonymously. Others may avail of medical tourism in order to keep scars and bruises secret. The cost of surgery in India, Thailand and South Africa may be only one-tenth of that in Western Europe or the United States. For example, a heart valve replacement costing up to 100.000 pounds sterling in the U.K. may be available for 5,000 pounds sterling in India.

Similarly, the costs of knee replacements may be 15,000 pounds sterling in the U.K., and only 1,500 pounds sterling in India. For elective procedures or simple health screening where the patient is not too ill to travel, medical tourism is being seen by more and more people as the best alternative. Ninian (2008, p.493) states that “a typical men’s checkup in the U.Kl. would include chest x-rays, ECG, lung tests, blood tests, sight, hearing, and a talk with a doctor”, costing up to 500 pounds sterling.

However, the same tests in New Delhi may be for 100 pounds sterling. Tourists are confident of receiving the best medical treatment because private corporate hospitals in developing countries are on par with the best hospital facilities in Europe or America. New business models around the world are transforming the way governments around the world deal with “financing hospitals, recruiting physicians, reimbursing health care providers, and building adequate health care systems for current and future generations” (Nakra, 2011, p.26). These measures promote international standardisation of medical treatment and care.

Conclusion This paper has highlighted health tourism as a growing phenomenon in the hospitality industry, benefiting both the developing and the industrialised countries. From the explosion of outward bound patients for receiving medical care from foreign destinations, it is evident that the field has immense prospects for growth in the future. Nakra (2011) reiterates that the medical tourism industry uses new business models to deal with increasing global health care challenges. As a consumer-driven trend, health tourism has to keep up with consumers’ requirements.

References Goldbach, A. R. & West, D. J. (2010). Medical tourism: A new venture of healthcare. Journal of Global Business Issues, 4(2), pp.43-53. Harrington, J. A. (2007). Law, globalisation and the NHS. Capital & Class, 92, pp.81-106. Nakra, P. (2011). Could medical tourism aid health-care delivery? The Futurist, 45(2), pp.23- 26. Ninian, A. (2008). Medical Tourism. Contemporary Review, 290(1691), pp.486-494. Reisman, D. (2010). Health tourism: Social welfare through international trade. The United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Health and Medical Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/tourism/1442883-health-and-medical-tourism
(Health and Medical Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
https://studentshare.org/tourism/1442883-health-and-medical-tourism.
“Health and Medical Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/tourism/1442883-health-and-medical-tourism.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Health and Medical Tourism

Establishing Consumer Perceptions towards Medical Spas UK

According to ISPA (International Spa Association), medical spas are institutions that provide wellness care and medical services altogether.... Marketing Literature Review [Instructor Name] Investigation to Establish Consumer Perceptions towards medical Spas UK Defining medical Spas In the modern world where there is fashion, glamour and style people desire to have the brightest look and appearance.... hellip; In fast running life where there are less chances to work on self development, people come to the methods of medical Spa and treatment....
8 Pages (2000 words) Literature review

Why People Should Not Be Allowed To Buy and Sell Organs for Transplants

The writer of the following essay "Why People Should Not Be Allowed To Buy and Sell Organs for Transplants" argues whether is it acceptable to trade human body organs for transplantation.... Specifically, the writer would present an argument against buying and selling of human organs.... hellip; People should not buy and sell organs for transplants because it is unethical to trade in human body parts....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Transplant Tourism and Life Prolonging Services Affect on the Economy

Hence, many patients result to transplant tourism as the best option.... However, there has been critics of this practice and the although American doctors do Transplant Tourisms Effect on the Economy  Transplant tourism refers to the practice of travelling from one country to another for the sake of organ transplantation.... Hence, many patients result to transplant tourism as the best option.... However, there has been critics of this practice and the although American doctors do not condone all of the practices associated with transplant tourism they have to ensure that the patients get adequate and reasonable health care regardless of whether the transplantation was performed in the U....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Factors Of Selecting A Destination

The paper "Factors Of Selecting A Destination" focuses on how aspects of matters concerning political turmoil, terrorism, and war affect tourism and how it affects tourists' choice of traveling or touring a given destination.... Most studies that examine the relationship between tourism, terrorism and political stability likewise yield issues that arise due to war and crime.... The inquiry remains, notwithstanding, whether these studies shed sufficient light on the current understanding of how global tourism survives in political violence or terrorism....
10 Pages (2500 words) Coursework

Global Issues of Healthcare Management

The most supple and advanced health economies have the change to revolutionize the manner in which care is delivered, and in doing this, in order to change their societies (Hall, 2011).... In a majority of our nations, healthcare quality has become the main agenda in all their parliamentary sittings....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

Thriving Tourism in South Korea

In the paper “Thriving tourism in South Korea” the author analyzes tourism, which has rapidly become the main source of South Korea's economic growth.... Despite recent health concerns regarding the possible spread of influenza, tourism in Korea has continued to increase in the past decade.... In order to develop tourism as a viable source of economic independence, The Korean government was faced with the task of developing methods or processes for attracting tourists....
10 Pages (2500 words) Case Study

The Increase in Health Information Systems Affect Medical Tourism

This work called "The Increase in Health Information Systems and its Effect on medical tourism" describes the growing trend in domestic and international medical tourism.... From this work, it is clear about how does the increase in health information systems/technology affects medical tourism.... Among the leading medical procedures that people undertake medical tourism for are surgeries, dental and fertility complications as well as genetic disorders....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

The Chance to Go for Medical Tourism

The paper "medical tourism" discusses medical tourism that became one of the important ways to develop tourism.... hellip; medical tourism is defined as the travel of people to other countries for obtaining treatment on medical grounds.... Other than the wealthy community, the common mass also got the chance to go for medical tourism.... For example, the medical cost in the US and other parts of the world are increasing day by day so the citizens of those countries and the insurance companies consider medical tourism to lower their cost....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us