The Emerging Markets of the Asian Region

Medical tourism has become a catchphrase in the early years of the 21st Century for even the most unlikely of destinations. This chapter outlines the issues and practices involved in an assessment of the status of medical tourism in the emerging economies and destinations of the Asian Region. A selection of countries as case studies covers the region from the Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, South Asia (Sri Lanka), through to Cambodia, Taiwan, Myanmar, and Japan. The growth of medical tourism in the Asian region, and its various economic and social impact on abovementioned countries is under focus in this chapter. It provides a comprehensive view of how different countries should capitalize on their advantage to increase their share of regional or international medical tourism market. Both technological advances and traditional medicine have provided comparative advantage for medical tourism destinations in the Asian region.

Respite Tourism for Family Caregivers

One of the most misunderstood and unappreciated segments of society in relation to medical tourism is the family caregiver; those caring for a loved one who sacrifice their own employment schedule, their personal time for relaxing and recreation, and often and importantly their own health. The purpose of this chapter is to raise awareness of the plight of family caregivers as an issue for medical tourism, the effects of stress and burnout, and the essential need for respite of body, mind, and spirit for these central assistants in the matter of healthcare for patients. Though healthcare and its subset, medical tourism, are frequently perceived as focused on a “patient”, they also encompass many other individuals and organizations. As addressed here, the focus is on the family member caring for a loved one. The intent is to link the concept of medical tourism as an avenue for relaxation and respite to enhance the wellness of this specific target market.

The Role of Medical Tourism in Emerging Markets

This chapter reveals the role of medical tourism (MT) in emerging markets, give an overview of tourism, medical tourism, and emerging markets; discusses the advancement of medical tourism in emerging markets; the significance of medical tourism in emerging markets; and the characteristics of medical tourism in emerging markets. The execution of medical tourism is essential for modern organizations that seek to serve suppliers and customers, enhance business performance, reinforce competitiveness, and gain ordinary success in emerging markets. Thus, it is essential for modern organizations to consider their medical tourism applications, create a strategic plan to consistently investigate their dynamic promotion, and instantly respond to the needs of medical tourists in emerging markets. Understanding medical tourism will significantly improve organizational performance and achieve sustainable competitive advantage in emerging markets.

The Ethics of Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is rapidly growing. There are various reasons for this form of travel; from having life-saving surgery, receiving organ transplants and other vital operations, to therapeutic massage, using hot spas, and cosmetic surgery, and from receiving assistance with infertility to assisted suicide services at particular destinations. Some forms of medical tourism have strong ethical issues attached to them, but there are also ethical issues that may apply to almost all cases, and these can be discussed in a general way. This chapter discusses fundamental definitions of the concepts and general ethical issues in medical tourism, and then explains in more detail some of the moral issues in medical tourism that need to be examined from an ethical standpoint. The chapter establishes common ground for discussion based on broadly accepted principles that can be used almost universally as general guidelines for ethical decision-making in medical tourism activities.

The Growth of Medical Tourism

In the late 2000s, the author wrote a summary paper on the rise of medical tourism. That paper discussed the rapid growth of interest in medical, health and wellness tourism, especially since 2003. The medical tourism industry has a long history, but this massive growth is a new phenomenon. The important factors are: the changing distribution of medical services and technologies; the growth of interest among both local medical practitioners and travel agents; the packaging of tourism and medical services as a single product; and, most significantly, the availability of the Internet to disseminate information them, creating a global market. The present chapter considers first the burgeoning literature on medical tourism. Second, the processes of development in countries becoming the main players in the international provision of medical services are discussed. Third, the chapter looks at the debates surrounding the rise of medical tourism in the developed countries.

The Development, Nature, and Impact of Medical Tourism in Bangladesh

Medical tourism is recent phenomenon. All such tourism is based on three main factors (tourists, service providers and facilities, and the policy frameworks required to put these together), that contribute to its development. Bangladesh has put these main factors in place for medical tourism, and now wishes to make better use of available service providers and facilities. The country is believed to have the capacity to become a major medical tourism destination, if its development is properly orchestrated. Bangladesh produces a considerable number of medical tourists, however the country has in recent years witnessed huge investment in public and private medical services, and health infrastructure development. This chapter is an analytical study that aims to explore the existing patterns of medical tourism in Bangladesh, while offering suggestions that would allow the country to gain a competitive edge.

Potentials and Prospects of Medical Tourism in Chennai, India

Medical tourism or as it is often called, Health Tourism or Medical Travel, has emerged as million-billion dollar industry. Medical tourism is the practice of traveling outside one's home town to access medical treatment. The concept of Medical Tourism in India refers to visit by overseas patients for medical treatment and relaxation. Medical tourists choose India as their favourite destination because of the key opportunities in Indian healthcare sector in the form of efficient infrastructures and technology. The health insurance market and National medical systems here are well developed, which is convenient for visitors from the West and the Middle East. They also find the hospital expenses very affordable. The Tamil Nadu region is proud of possessing India's best medical facilities (Allopathy, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and so on). Chennai leads in the Indian health care sector and is considered the Health Capital of India, and suitable subject for this Chapter on medical tourism in India.

Stress Relief across Borders

People suffer from both mental and physical stresses. International and domestic travelers may need examination and treatment for their relief. The need to stay for a longer time abroad for mental health treatment may seem unusual or not common. However, stress relief across borders is both possible, and may be very well catered for, as in Japan. Stress relief methods and equipment in Japan are equal to those of other countries, and are available as national measures. In fact, Japan's breathing therapy systems and relaxation methods using the abundant hot springs have long been a tradition. In this chapter stress relief program choices are described, including those for medical tourism participants, and stress management is proposed as part of or support for other treatments. If such programs can resolve stress, then both the traveler and the destination will have achieved a positive outcome.

An Early Pioneer of Medical Tourism's Use of the Internet and Social Media

Medical tourism, as has been mentioned numerous times in other chapters in this book, is not a new concept, but what happened in the early 1990's with the advent of the Internet was truly novel. For most medical physicians the potential of this innovation was quite unexpected and at first difficult to accept. Some however embraced it… this is the story of one doctor practicing in Belgium who saw the potential of the web and instead of bowing to the perceived threat, embraced its full potential from day one. By looking at the effects of the internet on Medical Tourism using a SWOT analysis and following this pioneer from the mid 1990's (remember that 1993 marks the first real use of websites), this chapter tries to map the earliest evolution of the use of the web for the delivery of medicine and medical advice.

The Surrogacy Trail

Surrogacy is the carrying of a child for its intended parents by another person where they cannot do this themselves. There are two main types; gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy. The first relies on the transfer of an embryo created by in-vitro fertilization (IVF); the resulting child is not genetically related to the surrogate mother. In the traditional form, the surrogate mother is impregnated naturally or artificially, and the child is genetically related to the surrogate. In either case the intended parent(s) may seek such arrangements when pregnancy may be difficult, or because they are male. If the surrogate mother is paid (other than out-of-pocket expenses), the arrangement is commercial surrogacy; otherwise it is ‘altruistic' surrogacy. Legal situations and costs vary, and if possible at all, usually requires specific arrangements between countries. Problems, such those in the recent Australia-Thailand (Gammy) case, can arise even with agreements.