Changing trends in health care tourism.
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 of Management, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, USA. ckaruppan@missouristate.edu
Corinne M
CM
Karuppan
Muthu
M
Karuppan
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult