Attributed to country of residence:
Treatments not covered by health insurance in home country Lack of health insurance making some care unaffordable in home country Lack of technology or medical expertise in own country; procedure or treatment unavailable Legal or cultural constraints in home country (eg, termination of pregnancy; in vitro fertilization; sexual reassignment surgery; surrogates for pregnancy; stem cell treatments) Medical insurance plans include coverage and may even offer incentives for out-of-country procedures
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Improve overall quality of care due to standards for treating foreign patients Revenue from medical tourism may provide opportunities to improve access and quality for local residents Physicians and other healthcare workers trained elsewhere may repatriate to countries of origin to work and improve local access and quality of care Patients and their families may stay in country or region for sightseeing during recovery and bring money to local economy
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Associated with direct impact on medical tourist:
Lack of regulation of medical tourism companies Accreditation of care providers may be lax and highly variable Ethical concerns about doing procedures that are not supported by scientific evidence Fragmented or poor follow-up care; lack of communication between institutions abroad and at home; poor medical records Late complications following surgery High nosocomial infection rates; early and late infections Lack of oversight to identify reasons for adverse events and effect change Major surgery may be associated with increased risk for perioperative deep vein thrombosis from long-haul flights Lack of liability for poor results or malpractice Lack of standards regarding patient privacy and confidentiality
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Attributed to country providing care:
Low cost; more affordable medical care Treatment available without long waiting periods Modern facilities, including accreditation by Joint Commission International, giving patients confidence in the quality of care Expanding capacity to care for patients from developed countries and concierge services to assist with planning; personalized assistance Option to receive care and remain anonymous Well-organized promoters of medical tourism, including professional organization, regular international meetings, websites, journal, and written materials Sightseeing and touring in an exotic location in addition to obtaining medical care
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Associated with impact on country providing care:
Rise in cost of medical care for local residents Focus on wealthier foreign patients may undermine resources for impoverished local residents who may have less access to care Exploitation of local donors or surrogates for certain procedures Imbalance of specialties; financial incentives for care of foreign patients affects specialty choices
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