title: Medical tourism: evidence from an Italian descriptive survey on pediatric neurorehabilitation treatment abroad.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years we have witnessed a rapidly-growing tendency to seek neurorehabilitation abroad.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed at better understanding this practice through a analysis of the authorizations for pediatric neurorehabilitation services issued by Italian Regions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive retrospective survey study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Italian children travelling abroad for neurorehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the number of authorizations granted in the 2008-2011 period by local health agencies of Italian regions to children aged 0-18 years applying for neurorehabilitation services abroad. Information was obtained from the Ministry of Health database management systems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our analysis showed an extreme variability across Italian regions. This is probably suggestive of an unbalanced offer of pediatric neurorehabilitation services across regions, different mechanisms used to control the phenomenon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study looked specifically at the practice of neurorehabilitation abroad in order to encourage further and larger studies, even at international level. A greater integration of health systems with common policies is to be achieved in order to control this phenomenon in a field as sensitive as pediatric neurorehabilitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study, which is the only study so far focusing on pediatric neurorehabilitation, looked specifically at the practice of health tourism in order to encourage further and larger studies, even at international level. Health tourism is a critical issue for all Western welfare systems which are under a pressure to cut health-related expenses.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Neurorehabilitation I Developmental Neurology and Functional Rehabilitation Regional Reference Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebral Palsy and Severe Acquired Brain Injury in Childhood and Adolescence Scientific Institute I.R.C.C.S. "Eugenio Medea" - "La Nostra Famiglia", Brindisi, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trabacca
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gennaro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Losito
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rinaldis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paloscia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System / Q000534:rehabilitation*