How do Conceptualization, Culture, and Commodification Give a Better Understanding of Medical Tourism?

Traveling for health and wellness has been started long ago. Greeks and Egyptians used to travel for assembling hot baths and springs, similarly, in the 18th and 19th centuries Europeans and Americans used to make tours for spas which has treated as an effective way to cure diseases such as tuberculosis. Nowadays, medical tourism is becoming popular across nations mainly because the patients taking treatment along with their family members, relatives or attendants can take advantage of sightseeing the place, make day trips, and participate in various other tourism activities.

Medical tourism holds various aspects, such as its culture, conceptualization and commodification, importance, and benefits. People usually make their choices of getting treated at some particular destination on the basis of these mentioned factors. There are many medical tourism websites and travel agencies which help people to choose their destinations in a better package. The suggestions from agencies include the services offered by the medical institutions, cost of treatment, stay period, and many more.

What is the Culture of Medical Tourism?

The basics behind understanding the culture of medical tourism include the process of understanding patients’ beliefs and behaviors. Just like the medical service providers, the patients also need to understand the culture and behavior of their chosen destination. So, the medical tourism culture is a bilateral process that thoroughly educates the patients as well as the medical service provider about each other’s behavior.  As people are traveling from all across the globe, it is obvious that their beliefs and behaviors vary from the destined place of treatment. They may be differences in race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, or language. So, the ultimate objective of cultural understanding of medical tourism is to minimize the gaps of understanding, increase awareness of using applications without misunderstanding, and hence, deliver positive results and satisfaction to the patients worldwide.

What does Conceptualization of Medical Tourism Mean?

Medical tourism is an emerging phenomenon that includes medical care facilities along with various holiday-making activities. Though the concept of medical tourism has been started years ago, very less research has been devoted to knowing the experience and perception of medical tourists regarding the type of services provided to them at the medical destinations. Therefore, the conceptualization of the ‘Medical Tourism’ experience is employed which includes seven dimensions, such as medical service quality, medical tourism infrastructure, treatment quality, destination appeal, medical tourism infrastructure, destination culture, and ease of access. This gives opportunities to policymakers and marketers to attract patients and gain sustainable competitive advantages.

What is Commodification of Medical Tourism?

The commodification of health care is a central perception of medical management which includes price, cost, quality, result, distribution, and availability of medical care facilities. The practical, ethical, and conceptual implications of commodification are much impactful on the healing relationship between health professionals and their patients.

What are the Numerous Benefits of Medical Tourism?

Medical tourism has a big role in contributing to the rise of the expansion of economies and enhancing the living standards of human civilization. Apart from this various other beneficial advantages of medical tourism are discussed below:

• Provides more medical services occupations. 
• Give admittance to the most recent innovation in the medical sector.
• Tremendously valuable for global economic development.
• Provides a medium for better knowledge exchange.
• Improves the quality of life for many individuals suffering from chronic diseases.
• Promotes the standards of global healthcare services.
• Plays a major role in generating foreign revenue.
• Gives various social, political, and economical benefits.

The Bottom Line

Though medical tourism includes some strict rules and regulations to avail the medical care all across the globe, however, it has a positive measure of providing a better living to individuals coming from different geographies and cultural beliefs. With the growing globalization, medical tourism is expected to grow more successfully with better ideologies and services. 

About the Author(s)

     

Rosy Behera

Rosy Behera holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and is currently working as a content writing professional. She loves to portray her thoughts and ideas via her command on words. Grabbing her audience’s attention with her creative write ups is one of her biggest assets. Apart from writing, she is a certified “Odisi” dancer and has done Gardharva in Drawing, Painting and Arts. She always explores new things through travel and is a big foodie.