Researchers from the University of York, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Royal Holloway University of London and the University of Birmingham defined medical tourism as when people leave their own country to seek medical treatment abroad. They specified this is distinct from “health tourism,” when there is not always intent to pay for the treatment.
The study’s findings challenge the notion people are more prepared to travel across national borders for medical treatments. Researchers identified three myths about medical tourism: the “rise” of it, the “enormous global market opportunities” for it and the idea governments have a role to play in stimulating the medical tourism sector by making high-tech investments.
“Our message is: Be wary of being dazzled by the lure of global health markets, and of chasing markets that do not exist,” lead author Neil Lunt, PhD, from the University of York, said in the report.
Although countries like Jamaica, Thailand, India and Singapore have invested in medical tourism in recent years, researchers said there was no hard evidence to back up the assumption it’s a booming market.
“The destinations of medical tourists are typically based on geopolitical factors, such as colonialism and existing trade patterns,” said researcher Daniel Horsfall, PhD, from the University of York. For instance, medical tourists from the Middle East typically travel to Germany and the United Kingdom for care due to existing ties between the countries.
The researchers also said it was tremendously difficult to identify data about medical tourism, as there is no credible authoritative data at the global level.
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