title: Medical tourism in Iran: Issues and challenges.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical tourism is rapidly becoming a worldwide, multibillion-dollar industry. Iran has a high potential for this industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the medical tourism cluster, using Diamond Analysis tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a descriptive, analytical and qualitative one. Thirty professionals and researchers in this field were interviewed and official documents belonging to the Health ministry as well as tourism organization and finally related literature were examined. The data was analyzed using content analysis method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive and negative parts of the medical tourism industry of Iran were determined according to diamond of advantage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strategic issues were identified and a number of possible solutions for addressing them were recommended. More and effective public-private participations, aggressive marketing, improving infrastructures, and international accreditation of health care facilities and human resources development could improve medical tourism industry in the country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Administration, Health Management and Economic Research Center, School of Management and Medical Information, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jabbari
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delgoshaei
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mardani
authors.forename: Seid Jamaledin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tabibi
keywords: Cluster study; diamond analysis; iran; medical tourism
references.citation: Health Aff (Millwood). 2006 Mar-Apr;25(2):358-68
references.pmid: 16522578
references.citation: Physician Exec. 2007 Nov-Dec;33(6):24-6, 28-30
references.pmid: 18092615