Medical Tourism Association as an Instrument of Managing Health Industry Competitivity

Abstract

The article presents the classification of medical tourism services based on functional limitations. The distinction between the concepts of health and medical tourism has been made. The objective of medical clinical tourism is to obtain diagnosis, treatment and prophylactic measures, surgical treatment measures. Health tourism includes rehabilitation and sanatorium-resort treatment, balneological, physiotherapeutic and resort tourism. The analysis of healthcare services market has been performed from the perspectives of supply and demand. The foreign practice of medical tourism management by professional associations in the USA and Ukraine has been reviewed. The article analyzes Russian medical tourism associations’ activities and structure. These organizations are still taking their first steps and do not significantly contribute to the management of public health sector. A proper management of medical tourism in Russia is impossible without taking into account its regional specifics. Since Russian associations do not have an extensive regional network, it isadvisable to create an organization promoing the development of medical tourism especially in the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts. The goals, functions, and members of such organization have been identified, as well as its main advantages, the range of services provided, objects of specialized infrastructure that Russian medical tourism association should run. The article presents the results of the research supported by grant № 19-410-230059r_a from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.