Empirical Analysis on the Medical Tourism Policy in Taiwan

2017 ◽  
pp. 295-311
Author(s):  
I-Chun Liu ◽  
Chii-Ching Chen
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Policy Network ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public Policy Implementation ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
International Visitors

“Medical Tourism” is a growing industry, attracting more and more attention. Taiwan's government, hopeful that this new industry could generate considerable revenue, has declared its ambition to become the premier choice for cross-country medical care for international visitors. The policy network approach emphasizes the interaction between policy actors. This chapter examines Taiwan's medical tourism development from the model of public policy implementation. We present findings from twelve semi-structured interviews with stakeholders across medical service providers, as well as government officers, and civil society sectors. We found that medical tourism in Taiwan is a growing service, with both public and private sector involvement. However, it is still lagging behind regional competitors such as Singapore, Thailand, and India. Thus, active efforts should be made to encourage the coordination between the medical care sector, tourism industry, and relevant authorities.

Empirical Analysis on the Medical Tourism Policy in Taiwan

2015 ◽  
pp. 132-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Chun Liu ◽  
Chii-Ching Chen
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Policy Network ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public Policy Implementation ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
International Visitors

“Medical Tourism” is a growing industry, attracting more and more attention. Taiwan's government, hopeful that this new industry could generate considerable revenue, has declared its ambition to become the premier choice for cross-country medical care for international visitors. The policy network approach emphasizes the interaction between policy actors. This chapter examines Taiwan's medical tourism development from the model of public policy implementation. We present findings from twelve semi-structured interviews with stakeholders across medical service providers, as well as government officers, and civil society sectors. We found that medical tourism in Taiwan is a growing service, with both public and private sector involvement. However, it is still lagging behind regional competitors such as Singapore, Thailand, and India. Thus, active efforts should be made to encourage the coordination between the medical care sector, tourism industry, and relevant authorities.

scholarly journals Tourism discourse and medical tourists’ motivations to travel

2015 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystyna Adams ◽  
Jeremy Snyder ◽  
Valorie Crooks ◽  
Rory Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Medical Procedure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Theories ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – This paper aims to respond to a knowledge gap regarding the motivations of medical tourists, the term used to describe persons that travel across borders with the intention of accessing medical care. Commonly cited motivations for engaging in medical tourism are typically based on speculation and provide generalizations for what is a contextualized practice. This research paper aims to complicate the commonly discussed motivations of medical tourists to provide a richer understanding of these motivations and the various contexts in which medical tourists may choose to travel for medical care. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 32 former Canadian medical tourists, this study uses the Iso-Ahola’s motivation theory to analyze tourists’ motivations. Quotations from participants were used to highlight core themes relevant to critical theories of tourism. Findings – Participants’ discussions illuminated motivations to travel related to personal and interpersonal seeking as well as personal and interpersonal escaping. These motivations demonstrate the appropriateness of applying critical theories of tourism to the medical tourism industry. Research limitations/implications – This research is limited in its ability to link various motivations with particular contexts such as medical procedure and personal demographics. However, this study demonstrates that the three commonly cited motivations of medical tourists might oversimplify this phenomenon. Originality/value – By providing new insight into medical tourists’ motivations, this paper expands the conversation about medical tourists’ decision-making and how this is informed by tourism discourse. This insight may contribute to improved guidance for medical tourism stakeholders for more ethical and safe practices.

Medical tourism: tourists’ perceived services and satisfaction lessons from Malaysian hospitals

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Khalilur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Return

Purpose The medical tourism industry has become one of the most profitable industries around the world wherein most of the countries exploit every effort to attract medical tourists to take advantage of its medical care benefits. The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of medical tourists’ perceived services and their satisfaction for medical care in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach The quantitative method was conducted to examine the three groups of foreign travellers such as medical tourists, expats and normative medial tourists’ perceived medical services quality and satisfaction. Data from a survey of 266 respondents were analyzed using the structural equation modelling technique. Findings The findings of this study provide evidence that hospital accessibility and interpersonal behaviour are the most critical constructs that influence medical tourists’ attributes. Additionally, medical costs and health-care technicality have a significant relationship with the perceived services of medical tourists. The study also demonstrated that medical tourists’ satisfaction highly attributed to their perceived services towards the quality of medical care they received and experienced in the hospitals. Practical implications The results have important implications for managerial considerations at hospitals. Hospital accessibility is a crucial dimension to be measured at hospitals when measuring service quality. Service providers need to be mindful that all aspects of medical services are essential and need to be delivered satisfactorily to ensure customer satisfaction. Patients’ perceived services and their satisfaction is a crucial bridge in determining the likelihood of future return among patients to the hospitals. Originality/value This study has managed to convincingly secure findings to provide useful information and understanding of the hospital accessibility and interpersonal manner of health-care professionals at hospitals in Malaysia. Particularly, when any hospital offers quality services, they must consider the reasonable medical expenses that can be affordable by the average people and update their medical equipment that are necessary for technical and diagnostic purposes. By ensuring these, they can attract the medical tourists.

scholarly journals A qualitative exploration of doctors and nurses experiences on the management of tuberculosis and HIV co-infection in a tuberculosis-HIV high burden community in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mbuso Mabuza ◽  
Constance Shumba
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
High Burden ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
Doctors And Nurses

South Africa is faced with a huge challenge of addressing the high burden of tuberculosis-human immune virus (TBHIV) co-infection, and this challenge is more pronounced in the province of KwaZulu-Natal which has one of the highest burdens of TB-HIV co-infection in the world. The study explored the experiences of doctors and nurses with regard to the management of tuberculosis and HIV coinfection in a TB-HIV high burden community in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The particular focus was to provide insight and to inform policy and programme development for effective management of TB-HIV co-infection in the TB-HIV high burden community of northern KwaZulu- Natal. An interpretivist exploratory qualitative approach was employed through individual semi-structured interviews of 16 participants comprising eight doctors and eight nurses, with a total interview time of 8.95 hours. Purposive sampling was used to select the doctors and nurses from the public and private sector of the TB-HIV high burden community of northern KwaZulu- Natal. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Five key themes emerged from this study and these themes were discussed together with the sub-themes based on the various participant responses. The five key themes were practical experience about the management of TB-HIV co-infection; access to information and training on the management of TB-HIV co-infection; challenges and concerns about the management of TB-HIV co-infection; perception about local beliefs; and knowledge of policies and guidelines. Overall, this study highlights barriers that hamper the effective management of TB-HIV co-infection in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Recommendations of this study point towards an urgent need to scale up the management of TB-HIV co-infection through effective policies, improved capacity and infrastructure, stronger partnerships of all stakeholders, and further research.

scholarly journals Surveying Healthcare Facilities for Tourists in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
Rajat Shandilya ◽  
◽  
Bhagyesh Acharya ◽  
Mayank ◽  
Monika Garg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Foreign Currency ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Tourist Destinations ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
High Quality Medical Care

India is quickly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The rise of India as a tourist destination can be attributed to a number of factors. The growth of medical tourism in India is one of the reasons examined in this paper. Healthcare tourism is when people from all over the world fly to another country to receive medical, dental, and surgical treatment when exploring, vacationing, and completely immersing themselves in the attractions of the countries they are visiting. In the medical tourism industry, India is one of the most popular destinations. Medical tourism is experiencing rapid growth in India. Medical tourists cross foreign boundaries in search of medical care. Medical tourism has developed to become a multibillion-dollar industry. It is important to remember that the primary goal of medical tourists is to provide high-quality medical care at an affordable cost. When compared to other developing countries in the world, India has emerged as the most sought-after destination for medical tourists due to the availability of world-class doctors at affordable prices. In addition, India has a wide range of tourist destinations. It has tremendous potential for creating jobs and earning large sums of foreign currency. The paper ends with policy recommendations for advancing the rapidly growing medical tourism industry.

Best “Experience” Practices in Medical Tourism

2015 ◽  
pp. 493-500
Author(s):  
Mengyu Li ◽  
Frederick J. DeMicco
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Experience Economy ◽  
Principal Objective ◽  
Merging Process ◽  
Fundamental Reason ◽  
Excellent Care

The principal objective of this paper is to demonstrate the best practices in the rising trend of H2H and Medical Tourism. The concept of “Experience Economy” expedites the merging process of hospitality and hospitals: patients are also travelers now whose needs are not merely commodity type of medical care anymore but a memorable wellbeing experience. Moreover, H2H optimizes the process of realizing excellent care, which serves as the fundamental reason for tourism industry. In the section of “Best Practices in Medical Tourism, Christiana Care Way, Starwood Five Human Truths, and H2H packages in Switzerland are selected to show how patient/guest experience can be made more interactive and less transactional. Therefore, although H2H demands the considerable collaboration from all parties involved in order to ultimately present the excellent care that customers, tourists, and patients want, H2H indeed carries tremendous opportunity for hospitals, hotels, Spa, restaurants, transportation, and more.

The Economic Attributes of Medical Care: Implications for Rationing Choices in the United States and United Kingdom

1996 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwayne A. Banks
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Consumer Choice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Point Of Entry ◽  
Public And Private Sector

The healthcare systems of the United States and United Kingdom are vastly different. The former relies primarily on private sector incentives and market forces to allocate medical care services, while the latter is a centrally planned system funded almost entirely by the public sector. Therefore, each nation represents divergent views on the relative efficacy of the market or government in achieving social objectives in the area of medical care policy. Since its inception in 1948, the National Health Services (NHS) of the United Kingdom has consistently emphasized equity in the allocation of medical services. It has done so by creating a system whereby services are universally free of charge at the point of entry. Conversely, the United States has relied upon the evolution of a perplexing array of public and private sector insurance schemes centered more around consumer choice than equity in allocation.

Rhythms of Care: Medical Travels beyond the Borders of Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-83
Author(s):  
Karen M. McNamara
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Emotional Challenges ◽  
Detailed Case ◽  
Care Practices ◽  
The Way

Abstract This article examines the experiences of Bangladeshi patients and their families as they travel transnationally within Asia for medical care. I explain how failures of biomedicine in Bangladesh feed into idealized expectations of care abroad. This medical imaginary is fueled by the hope that more expensive treatment in wealthier countries will result in better care, and it is sustained by the way the medical tourism industry operates and the way Bangladeshi patients and their families make choices and engage in the doing of care abroad. A detailed case study of a Bangladeshi cancer patient’s prolonged care in Singapore illustrates the tensions and ambivalences in the quest for the best treatment. These tensions are exacerbated by the linguistic, monetary, and emotional challenges faced in traveling back and forth between countries. While patients feel at times betrayed by experiences of care that do not meet their expectations, they also feel compelled to carry on. I capture this dynamic in the term rhythms of care, understanding these as the way the medical imaginary shapes care practices that become a scaffolding for hope to be maintained and further travel to be undertaken. I also reflect on how I become part of these rhythms by acting as the family’s interpreter as they navigate health care in Singapore.

scholarly journals Assessing the interrelationships between customer satisfaction, perceived value and behavioral intention among Maldivians seeking medical care within medical tourism services: Empirical evidence from the Maldives

2021 ◽  
pp. 1845-1854
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ali Jaleel ◽  
Mohd Shukri Ab Yajid ◽  
Ali Khatibi ◽  
S. M. Ferdous Azam
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Behavioral Intention ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Relationship

Empirical studies related to interrelationships between variables perceived value, customer satisfaction and behavioral intention conducted in the Maldives context and in the medical care industry is very rare. A quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in natural settings using a survey questionnaire to assess the interrelationships between above mentioned variables by utilizing a conceptual model created from three interrelationship models obtained from previous research. Data collected from willing participants across the 19 atolls resulting in a total of 385 responses obtained after data cleaning. A stratified proportionate random sampling method used. SPSS 25.00 and AMOS 23.00 used as analysis tools. The Sobel test applied to analyze the mediating effect of customer satisfaction on the relationship between perceived value and behavioral intention which confirmed a positive and significant relationship between perceived value, customer satisfaction and behavioral intention. Study rejected the hypothesis which test the mediation of customer satisfaction on the relationship between perceived value and behavioral intention. This study is first of its kind to generalize findings on Maldivian’s medical seeking behavior, and results helps policymakers, medical practitioners, medical institutions, and respective administrations to provide better customer perceived value towards providing higher customer satisfaction, which in effect improve customer behavioral intention towards medical care service providers.

scholarly journals Kerala: Health Tourism Hub for Ayurveda

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr Padmasani ◽  
V. Remya
Keyword(s):  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Health Tourism ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Ayurvedic Treatment ◽  
One Way Anova

Health/Medical tourism is a booming niche tourism market in the tourism industry. The main reason for the increasing trend is the high cost of treatment, long waiting time, less insurance coverage in developed countries and the attitude of people to spend holidays in a quality manner with the aim of improving health. In India, Kerala is emerging as a prime health tourism hub for its Ayurveda packages. The state attracts millions of foreign and domestic tourists to visit the state’s incredible heritage and experience the traditional nature based treatment therapies. The volume of tourist arrivals in Kerala had experienced a stupendous growth of 7.7 per cent in 2014 from 4.3 per cent in 2001 (Annual report of Tourism Statistics, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala). This study aims to profile the tourists visiting Kerala for Ayurvedic treatment and to identify the destination image factors making Kerala an attractive place for Ayurveda health tourism. For this purpose, 150 domestic tourists availing Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala were selected on the convenience of the researcher. In order to analyse the objectives, the Descriptive Statistics, Factor Analysis and One-way ANOVA were employed and the results revealed that service quality, attraction, opportunity, benefits and promotion were the destination image factors making Kerala an attractive place for Ayurvedic Health Tourism. The present study identifies the strength of Kerala for Ayurveda health tourism which helps the destination managers and the service providers witha better understanding of the market for elevating Kerala and its Ayurveda in this niche market.Int. J. Soc. Sci. Manage. Vol-2, issue-3: 222-227 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v2i3.12755 

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