Medical tourism: Articles and features: 2008

Our articles and features are written by some of the leading experts on medical tourism and medical travel.

Too many facilities. Not enough patientsThe current expansion of the medical-travel industry will lead to an oversupply of facilities all hoping to become centres of excellence
McKinsey & Co conduct research into medical travelFinally - some figures on medical travel - but is the industry ready for the truth?
INSURANCE AND MEDICAL TRAVELare closely linked. Ian Youngman looks at the new products coming to market, including Patient Medical Malpractice Insurance.
Truth behind the statisticsIan Youngman is the author of Medical Tourism 2008: the World-wide Business Guide. Here he shares his research with IMTJ
Accommodation during treatment: Medical facilities and hotelsFacilities and accommodation providers both cater to the needs of medical travellers, but the relationship is still tentative BY MARGIE T LOGARTA
IMTA ColumnAn article by Steven Tucker, President of the International Medical Travel Association
Dissatisfied patients will always be with usIf the medical travel industry is to flourish, it needs to understand and take precautions against patients who will never be satisfied with their treatment
USA: Report on JCI Advanced PracticumJoint Commission International (JCI) recently held its first Advanced Practicum on accreditation strategies and quality improvement in Chicago.
The biggest challenges facing medical travel and tourismDoctors Christopher Jones and Louis Keith are both experts in the field of medical tourism.
Medical travellers and accomodation providersMedical travellers are to leisure, what MICE is to business.
Book review: Medical Tourism in Developing CountriesMost books on medical travel have been aimed at patients.
Personal touchMiddle Eastern patients can be sure of a welcoming environment at the London Clinic BY KATHY OXTOBY
Premium serviceInsurance and medical travel are closely linked. IMTJ looks at the new products coming to market, including patient medical malpractice insurance. By Ian Youngman
Caring and curingThe Philippines is hoping to build on its reputation for warmth and service to bring in greater volumes of international patients, reports Margie T Logarta
Forward thinkingIn the search for new patients, hospital groups are becoming more adventurous. TOM OTLEY joined HCA International Hospitals as it set up the first of its overseas offices in Pakistan
New academic paper: Patients without BordersA new academic paper by Nathan G.Cortez on medical travel is thought provoking, "Patients without Borders: The Emerging Global Market for Patients and the Evolution of Modern Health Care. Indiana Law...
State of healthSingapore's government hospitals are major players in the country's push for a larger share of international patients
Health - the next big thing in third age travelFor the travel industry, the over-55s represent a goldmine of opportunities. Tour packages that offer therapeutic getaways is one of the ideas that could appeal to the silver generation.
Comparing European healthNon-European hospitals are often puzzled why there is so much difference in demand for surgical services between European countries.
Medical Tourism Association inaugural meetingThe Medical Tourism Association will hold its first meeting, on December 3rd in Washington DC.
INDONESIA: Why Indonesians go overseas for medical careMany Indonesians seek medical help abroad. Some 30-40 percent of foreign patients in Singapore at any one time are Indonesian.
Global report on medical tourismMedical Tourism 2008 - The World-Wide Business Guide is a new 600-page business report by IMTJ contributor Ian Youngman.
What will it take for US patients to start travelling?Ori Karev is CEO of UnitedHealth International, the leading global health and well-being company.
A cautionary taleBlue Ridge Paper Products made headlines in 2004 when one of its employees was stopped from going abroad for medical treatment. Darrell Douglas was its vice-president of paper products.
Putting value in medical travelIndustry figures are still debating how the sector should describe itself
Manila shows its expertiseThe Philippine capital hosted a major medical travel event and the country's industry was out in full force
Rising starAlthough new to health travel, Korea has a wealth of medical expertise
Tracking quality: An IMTA open letterMeasuring performance and quality in medical travel
Perfect pairingMedical-travel agents have an important part to play in the growth of global healthcare. IMTJ profiles two from Canada and the Philippines
Medical Tourism vs. Traditional International Medical Travel: A Tale of Two ModelsABSTRACT: Medical tourism is an emerging phenomenon wherein citizens of industrialized nations bypass services offered in their own communities and travel to less developed countries to receive...
Technological advantageMedical equipment is increasingly a reason why patients choose a facility
Rapid responseMedical assistance specialist International SOS has pioneered global healthcare coverage for large multinational corporations
South Korea Medical Tourism Country ReportIan Youngman, author of the 760 page Medical Tourism 2008 - The World-Wide Business Guide, is producing a new series of country-specific reports, going into much greater detail than is possible in...
India powers aheadAs its economy begins to gather speed and with a reputation for care and technology, India's healthcare giants are seeking international patients.
Providing care across the straitTaiwan aims to attract medical tourists with its diverse culture, affordable cost of living and long history of medical research and expertise.
Customer perspectivesAs one of the world's top healthcare hubs, Singapore has a reputation for a more meticulous headcounts than many of its rival destinations.
First-year on targetIn only a year, the International Medical Association (IMTA) has attracted as members many of the leading global providers of healthcare for international patients.
Germany hears Gulf experienceThe First European Congress on Health Tourism (ECHT) 2008 took place in Munich, Germany. Largely concerned with the links between Germany and the Middle East
Summit marks milestoneA successful Healthcare Globalisation summit was held at The Venetian Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas, May 4 to 7. The Summit focused on the solutions being developed around quality, continuity of care,...
South African industry challenges adversityThere's no mystery as to why patients travel to South Africa for treatment. An excellent private healthcare system, competitive pricing, good outcomes in internationally accredited hospitals with top...
Japan lags behindJapan is a highly developed country with sophisticated transportation and communication systems. It is also an extremely safe destination. Yet other than the expatriate population living and working...
Delivering destinationsCountry attitudes to medical tourism vary. For every success story, such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and India, there are many more states where medical travel flourishes in spite of, rather...
Trust and transparency (IMTA)Country after country, city after city announce national programmes and the estimated numbers of people travelling around the world for healthcare increase with every report. It is, however, still a...
Medical Travel World Congress 2008, Kuala LumpurA 20-strong team of keynote and industry speakers at the Medical Travel World Congress 2008 delivered a succession of presentations and case studies.
What can Google tell us about medical tourism?Who knows what's going on in healthcare? Who knows what conditions and disorders are causing people problems? Who knows what's happening in medical tourism? Google! Google is a treasure chest of...
Medical tourism: Survival of the fittest?No industry is immune from global recession, and that has to be the case for the growing medical tourism industry. In past recessions, businesses in the healthcare sector have perhaps suffered less...
How to run a medical tourism conference...Autumn is conference season, and it seems that medical tourism is becoming the most talked about subject on the conference platform. Three years ago, there was little interest in this area, but in...
Medical tourism: The answer to the global healthcare problem?A recent article from McKinsey International highlights the magnitude of the challenge that leaders of governments in the developed countries are going to have to deal with sooner rather than later....
Medical tourism ratings and reviewsIt's been a couple of months since we launched medical tourism ratings and reviews. It's met with a variable response from the medical tourism industry, and from the patients themselves. Medical...
medicaltourism.com ......going, going gone?What's a domain name worth? Especially in the growth business of medical tourism. The Medical Tourism Association (of which my Company is a member) has recently announced that it is handling the sale...
EU Directive on cross border healthcare boosts health tourismAfter a six month delay, the EU Proposal for a Directive on patient's rights in cross border healthcare has finally been released. It provides an added stimulus to the already growing number of...
Helping patients make the right choice of medical tourism serviceMore and more people are using online reviews to make decisions about the products and service that they buy. Consumers worldwide want to hear from people like me before they make a decision about...
McKinsey and the medical tourism numbers game...According to a new report on medical tourism from McKinsey (login required): "Between 60,000 and 85,000 people annually travel abroad for inpatient hospital care, a number.....far lower than...
A code of practice for medical tourismAt Treatment Abroad, we have introduced the first medical tourism code of practice for healthcare providers. The "Code of Practice for Medical Tourism" aims to encourage best practice in medical...
Do concerns about MRSA and hospital infection drive patients abroad?Medical tourists who travel abroad for treatment, don't just do it to save money. In our soon to be published "Medical Tourism Survey", 56% of the respondents who went for elective surgery abroad...
EU Cross-border Healthcare Directive delayedAccording to EurActiv, an independent media portal dedicated to EU affairs, the EU Cross-border Healthcare Directive which intends to lift restrictions on patients travelling for treatment in other...
High UK dental costs driving patients abroadA new study has been published which compares the cost of providing dental treatment in nine European countries. The UK has the highest costs of dental treatment. (Note: the study compared the cost...