Medical Tourism and international healthcare management: fostering evidence based developments

Abstract

Patient mobility, within national health systems, will be a key topic within the international healthcare management debate for many next years to come. International patient mobility is a particular dimension of the same phenomena. Evidence on the topic is scarce both at national level as well as at international level. It implies a multidisciplinary approach to research and knowledge for practice which, indeed, characterizes healthcare management. From topics such as tourism marketing to international healthcare marketing, through health economics, health sociology, global health and health communication in its multiple functions including health literacy and eHealth, what we name as Medical and Health Tourism depends on the ability of managers and researchers to bring together these fields of evidence to improve practice. Amongst a number of key questions, the international healthcare management community needs further comparative data on such practical questions as “what leads local patients to seek international healthcare or wellness services?”, “what is the impact of international image of a country upon the credibility of its national health system?”, “what marketing factors appeal to different segments of the international patients?”, “what financing products may be developed to foster this international market?”, “what contributions to chronic patients and disease can medical tourism offer?”, “how can we establish programs of integrated care for international patients?”, “how can countries cooperate to foster winwin situations for patient mobility?”, “how can eHealth developments and technologies assit the growth of medical tourism?”, amongst many other practical questions which our readers and researchers will be able to identify and research. The International Journal of Healthcare Management is very interested in supporting research, reviews and opinion articles towards the process of improving the standards and the level of available evidence. We want to be knowledge brokers in the process of strengthening patient mobility both at national and international levels be it within the US market, the European Regions, the Asian regions, the Middle East, Africa or South America. Global, regional and national levels are all part of the same process of satisfying healthcare and wellness needs which come together within the growing influence of the holistic ideology for healthcare. The related phenomena affect all agents from governments to both healthcare and tourism industries, as well as patient organizations and financing agencies. No one is left behind in the truly global phenomena of medical and health tourism. We look forward to contribute to the upcoming exciting times of yet another global phenomenon.