Motivations & Concerns

 

 

Medical tourists pursue medical care abroad for a variety of reasons, including decreased cost, recommendations from friends or family, the opportunity to combine medical care with a vacation destination, a preference to receive care from a culturally similar provider, or a desire to receive a procedure or therapy.

 

Medical tourists, or people who travel internationally for medical care, have a variety of motivations and concerns:

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• Motivations

  Medical tourists may travel abroad for a number of reasons, including:

  • Cost: Medical care may be cheaper abroad

  • Treatment: A procedure or therapy may not be available in their home country

  • Waiting time: There may be shorter wait times

  • Quality: Care may be of higher quality

  • Culture: They may prefer care from a provider who is culturally similar

  • Vacation: They may be able to combine medical care with a vacation

  • Recommendations: They may be influenced by friends or family

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• Concerns

  Medical tourists may also have concerns, including:

  • Trust: 97.2% of medical tourists say trust is a significant factor in their decision

  • Accreditation: 63.3% of respondents say accreditation influences their choice of provider

  • Payments: 57.7% of respondents express concerns about international payments

  • Privacy: Privacy concerns may be a factor

  • Legal liability: Legal liability associated with medical tourism may be a concern