“Medical Tourism” and the Global Marketplace in Health Services: U.S. Patients, International Hospitals, and the Search for Affordable Health Care

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Turner
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cosmetic Surgery ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Global Marketplace

Health services are now advertised in a global marketplace. Hip and knee replacements, ophthalmologic procedures, cosmetic surgery, cardiac care, organ transplants, and stem cell injections are all available for purchase in the global health services marketplace. “Medical tourism” companies market “sun and surgery” packages and arrange care at international hospitals in Costa Rica, India, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, and other destination nations. Just as automobile manufacturing and textile production moved outside the United States, American patients are “offshoring” themselves to facilities that use low labor costs to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. Proponents of medical tourism argue that a global market in health services will promote consumer choice, foster competition among hospitals, and enable customers to purchase high-quality care at medical facilities around the world. Skeptics raise concerns about quality of care and patient safety, information disclosure to patients, legal redress when patients are harmed while receiving care at international hospitals, and harms to public health care systems in destination nations. The emergence of a global market in health services will have profound consequences for health insurance, delivery of health services, patient-physician relationships, publicly funded health care, and the spread of medical consumerism.

INTRODUCTION

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. ii-ii
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Full Account

In June 1992, 35 health care professionals, child and disability advocates, researchers, clinicians, and parents met at Wingspread Center in Racine, Wisconsin, for an invitational conference on Culture and Chronic Illness in Childhood. The meeting had as its goal the identification of the state of knowledge on the interface between culture, chronic illness, child development, and family functioning so as to lay the foundations for "culturally appropriate" health policy formulation, "culturally sensitive" services, and "culturally competent" clinicians. The purpose of this special supplement is to establish a national agenda for research, policy, service delivery, and training in addressing the needs of all children with chronic illnesses and disabilities that takes the family, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and culture into full account. To meet this task, five papers were commissioned. The first, by Newacheck et al, addresses the changes in incidence and prevalence of chronic illness and disability among children and youth by ethnic group. The second paper, by McManus et al, focuses on the trends in health services organization, delivery, and financing as they vary among ethnic groups in the United States. What emerges is a rhetoric of cultural sensitivity not paralleled in the organization or financing of health services. Groce and Zola's paper addresses how cultural attitudes and beliefs are the foundations of our perceptions about health and illness. Those perceptions at times are predisposed to conflict with a health care professional who, coming from a different culture, may hold different norms and beliefs. Brookins grounds her discussion within the context of child development and argues that for a child of color or one whose ethnic heritage is other than mainstream, the key to developmental success is bicultural competence—the ability to walk in and between two worlds.

scholarly journals Mental health services in Nicaragua: Ten years of revolution

1990 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 346-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Harris ◽  
Tammy Shefer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
Democratic Society ◽  
A Priority

Nicaragua is celebrating ten years of revolution since the overthrow of the 45 year long Somoza dictatorship∗. In this time, the Sandinista government has attempted to construct a more democratic society with considerable achievements in the area of health, welfare and education. Indeed, health care has been a priority in spite of severe economic difficulties caused by the United States economic blockade and by the need for defence against the war waged by the counter-revolutionaries (the Contra).

Medical Tourism

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-42
Author(s):  
Oğuz Doğan
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Market Shares ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
The World ◽  
High Level ◽  
Demand For Health

The number of travels around the world to benefit from health services provided abroad is increasing every year. The high level of global demand for health services has influenced the rapid development of the medical tourism industry. Due to these developments in the industry, a global market has emerged, the medical tourism market. Countries operating in the industry are also striving to gain share from this large market or to increase their existing market shares. In this study, different perspective on global phenomenon, medical tourism, medical tourism market, and leader destinations in the industry are examined in detail.

Medical Tourism Patient Mortality

2022 ◽  
pp. 143-162
Author(s):  
Alicia Mason ◽  
Sakshi Bhati ◽  
Ran Jiang ◽  
Elizabeth A. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Cosmetic Surgery ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Patient Death ◽  
Bereavement Counseling ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Social Support Systems

Medical tourism is a process in which a consumer travels from one's place of residence and receives medical treatment, thus becoming a patient. Patients Beyond Borders (PBB) forecasts some 1.9 million Americans will travel outside the United States for medical care in 2019. This chapter explores media representations of patient mortality associated with medical tourism within the global news media occurring between 2009-2019. A qualitative content analysis of 50 patient mortality cases found that (1) a majority of media representations of medical tourism patient death are of middle-class, minority females between 25-55 years of age who seek cosmetic surgery internationally; (2) sudden death, grief, and bereavement counseling is noticeably absent from medical tourism providers (MTPs); and (3) risk information from authority figures within the media reports is often vague and abstract. A detailed list of health communication recommendations and considerations for future medical tourists and their social support systems are provided.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Patterns of Health Care Use Among Poor Older People Under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Program in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 233372141985545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Williams Agyemang-Duah ◽  
Charles Peprah ◽  
Francis Arthur-Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Expenditure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Care Use ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Lifestyle

In spite of the growing literature on prevalence and patterns of health care use in later life globally, studies have generally overlooked subjective standpoints of vulnerable Ghanaian older people obstructing the achievement of the United Nations’ health-related Sustainable Development Goals. We examined the prevalence and patterns of health care use among poor older people in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana. Cross-sectional data were obtained from an Aging, Health, Lifestyle and Health Services Survey conducted between June 1 and 20, 2018 ( N = 200). Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were carried out to estimate the differences between gender and health care utilization with significant level of less than or equal to 0.05. Whereas, 85% of the respondents utilized health care, females were higher utilizers (88% vs. 75%) but males significantly incurred higher health care expenditure. The majority utilized health services on monthly basis (38%) and consulted public health care providers (77%). While 68% utilized services from hospitals, most sourced health information from family members (54%) and financed their health care through personal income (45%). The study found that the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty grant played a little role in reducing health poverty. Stakeholders should review social programs that target poor older people in order to improve their well-being and utilization of health care.

Strategic Impacts of Advanced Manufacturing Technology on American Textile Industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory W. Ulferts ◽  
Terry L. Howard ◽  
Nicholas J. Cannon
Keyword(s):  
Textile Industry ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Manufacturing Technology ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Textile Manufacturing ◽  
The U.S

This article describes how U.S. manufacturing was stricken when companies embraced outsourcing beginning in the 1990s as a strategy for taking advantage of lower labor costs in developing countries. The U.S. textile and apparel industries lost 76.5% of its workforce, or 1.2 million jobs, between 1990 and 2012. The catalyst which has renewed the interest in manufacturing textiles and apparel in the United States is the narrowing gap between the U.S. and Asian labor costs. The sector changed in response to technology and the global market, and both the number and type of employees demanded turned as well. The advanced technology currently drives the domestic textile industry. Despite a positive outlook on growth, it is unlikely that textile manufacturing will create the large number of jobs that it did in the past. Furthermore, it is only viable because of the technological improvements to its factories. The current production is designed to employ fewer workers in order be more productive and less dependent on labor costs. Nevertheless, the high demand for specialized and unique textiles in the U.S. and Europe will likely continue to drive improved manufacturing technology and performance. China's transition from a manufacturing economy to a service economy will increase its manufacturing operational costs, while probably growing demand for the sorts of specialized textiles on which American textile manufacturers tend to focus. If such manufacturers can increase their market shares in China and other Asian countries, while maintaining such markets in the U.S. and Europe, the American textile manufacturing industry will likely grow at a moderately high rate.

scholarly journals Trends in horizontal inequity in access to public health care services by immigrant condition in Spain (2006–2017)

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Pinilla ◽  
Miguel A. Negrín ◽  
Ignacio Abásolo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Specialist Care ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Horizontal Inequity ◽  
Latin Americans ◽  
Care Services

Abstract Background The objective of this research is to analyse trends in horizontal inequity in access to public health services by immigration condition in Spain throughout the period 2006–2017. We focus on “economic immigrants” because they are potentially the most vulnerable group amongst immigrants. Methods Based on the National Health Surveys of 2006–07 (N = 29,478), 2011–12 (N = 20,884) and 2016–17 (N = 22,903), hierarchical logistic regressions with random effects in Spain’s autonomous communities are estimated to explain the probability of using publicly-financed health care services by immigrant condition, controlling by health care need and other socioeconomic and demographic variables. Results Our results indicate that there are several horizontal inequities, though they changed throughout the decade studied. Regarding primary care services, the period starts (2006–07) with no global evidence of horizontal inequity in access (although the analysis by continent shows inequity that is detrimental to Eastern Europeans and Asians), giving way to inequity favouring economic immigrants (particularly Latin Americans and Africans) in 2011–12 and 2016–17. An opposite trend happens with specialist care, as the period starts (2006–07) with evidence of inequity that is detrimental to economic immigrants (particularly those from North of Africa) but this inequity disappears with the economic crisis and after it (with the only exception of Eastern Europeans in 2011–12, whose probability to visit a specialist is lower than for natives). Regarding emergency care, our evidence indicates horizontal inequity in access that favours economic immigrants (particularly Latin Americans and North Africans) that remains throughout the period. In general, there is no inequity in hospitalisations, with the exception of 2011–12, where inequity in favour of economic immigrants (particularly those from Latin America) takes place. Conclusions The results obtained here may serve, firstly, to prevent alarm about negative discrimination of economic immigrants in their access to public health services, even after the implementation of the Royal Decree RD Law 16/2012. Conversely, our results suggest that the horizontal inequity in access to specialist care that was found to be detrimental to economic immigrants in 2006–07, disappeared in global terms in 2011–12 and also by continent of origin in 2016–17.

Rationalization of Health Services: Political and Social Assumptions

1972 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Battistella
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Economy ◽  
Market Values ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness

Confronted with deep—seated problems of spiralling health care costs, the United States is actively considering rationalization as a means for improving efficiency and effectiveness in the operation of health services. The application of managerial and organizational principles characteristic of large—scale business and industry, i.e. quantification of decision—making, consolidation of production, money rewards for cost savings, and economies of scale, is increasingly seen as the key to successful control of the health economy. The drive for rationalization is assessed in terms of its probable impact on the following issues: (a) the scope of health—field boundaries and program responsibilities; (b) the influence of health professionals in policy and planning; (c) the role of altruistic ideals as compared to market values in conditioning provider behavior; and (d) the relationship of health services to larger social and philosophic aims. Because of the tendency toward convergence in the problems governments face in the financing and delivery of health care, it is suggested that developments in the United States may be relevant to other countries in similarly advanced stages of economic growth.

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