Title
Changing trends in health care tourism
Abstract
Despite much coverage in the popular press, only anecdotal evidence is available on medical tourists. At first sight, they seemed confined to small and narrowly defined consumer segments: individuals seeking bargains in cosmetic surgery or uninsured and financially distressed individuals in desperate need of medical care. The study reported in this article is the first empirical investigation of the medical tourism consumer market. It provides the demographic profile, motivations, and value perceptions of health care consumers who traveled abroad specifically to receive medical care. The findings suggest a much broader market of educated and savvy health care consumers than previously thought. In the backdrop of the health care reform, the article concludes with implications for health care providers.
Department(s)
Management
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1097/HCM.0b013e3181fa05f9
Keywords
demographic profile, empirical research, health care reform, outbound medical tourism
Publication Date
10-1-2010
Recommended Citation
Karuppan, Corinne M., and Muthu Karuppan. "Changing trends in health care tourism." The health care manager 29, no. 4 (2010): 349-358.
Journal Title
Health Care Manager
