title: Can inbound and domestic medical tourism improve your bottom line? Identifying the potential of a U.S. tourism market.
abstract: In large part due to current economic conditions and the political uncertainties of healthcare reform legislation, hospitals need to identify new sources of revenue. Two potentially untapped sources are inbound (international) and domestic (within the United States) medical tourists. This case study uses data from a large, urban healthcare system in the southeastern United States to quantify its potential market opportunities for medical tourism. The data were mined from electronic health records, and descriptive frequency analysis was used to provide a preliminary market assessment. This approach permits healthcare systems to move beyond anecdotal information and assess the relative market potential of their particular geographic area and the diagnostic services they offer for attracting inbound and domestic medical tourists. Implications for healthcare executives and guidance on how they can focus marketing efforts are discussed.
authors.affiliation: College of Health and Public Affairs, University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA. Myron.Fottler@ucf.edu
authors.forename: Myron D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fottler
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Management and Informatics, College of Health and Public Affairs, University of Central Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malvey
authors.affiliation: University of Central Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Yara
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asi
authors.affiliation: Nemours Children's Hospital, Orlando, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirchner
authors.affiliation: Natalia Warren and Associates, Orlando, USA.
authors.forename: Natalia A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Warren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057225:Data Mining; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D057193:Medical Tourism / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D008875:Middle Aged; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D015144:Southeastern United States; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult