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Fig. 3.
Top 10 countries with JCI accredited hospitals.
Source: [35].
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4. Concluding remarks
Medical tourism is more than an economic issue or a price-driven phenomenon given the nature of services sought and the foreign environment in which treatment is delivered [5], [15] and [29]. That patients seek access to care abroad says something about how health is construed and how domestic health care is regarded and, as such, reflects to a certain extent on the performance and responsiveness of domestic health care systems [26] and [28]. This, is driven by unmet need(s) of medical tourists, be they DZNep Western Europeans flying to Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia, or Asians traveling to the US or Western Europe for treatment.
Considering myosin the sequential decision-making process of engaging in medical tourism is strewn with concerns of quality, a concerted effort involving professionals, regulators as well as policy-makers should be undertaken in order to protect the safety and welfare of individuals who avail of such a temporary exit option [34] and [28]. Directing patients toward sound health information and encouraging them to be critical of information are important steps for making informed decisions. This requires developing a system than can bring medical tourism to account as well as an accounting system that would support the development of an evidence based on medical tourism [2] and [27].