Medical tourism is the act of travelling to other countries to obtain medical, dental, preventive and surgical care. With high rising costs of health care, many people are not able to afford health insurance and cannot receive treatment for necessary or elective procedures. Travelling abroad costs 60 to 80 percent less than the same procedure in the US and includes the leisurely aspect of travelling in the foreign country. This book provides readers with an introductory overview of health and medical tourism, besides dental tourism. Identification of related destinations, the involved risks and rewards with respect to medical travel is discussed in detail. An attempt is made towards understanding medical tourism in all its dimensions. The book also gives some reflections on growth of medical tourism worldwide with an Indian perspective on future prospects of global medical tourism. The existing industry of medical tourism in North America, the health facilities and alternative healthcare in Barbados are described as case studies.

The outbreak of global health issues due to rapid urbanization, industrialization, and changing climatic conditions are severely impacting health and lifestyle. Yet, healthcare and medical services continue to increase in cost in developed nations. This can result in medical tourism, wherein patients travel across countries in order to benefit from medical treatment that might not be accessible in the traveler’s nation of origin. Developing countries are prepared to capitalize on this growing industry by offering multi-specialty healthcare hospitals, cost-effective treatments, and the promotion of online medical consultancy. Global Developments in Healthcare and Medical Tourism provides innovative insights into issues impacting healthcare services, healthcare service providers, government policies, and initiatives for health reforms and explores low-cost medical tourism destinations and practices. The book additionally seeks to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient smart healthcare applications. The content within this publication examines global health, wellness tourism, and global business and is designed for students, researchers, academicians, policymakers, government officials, medical practitioners, and industry professionals.

The era of globalization allows for more connectivity between nations and cultures. This increase in international association gives citizens more availability to take advantage of opportunities in other nations, such as medical assistance and accompanying services. Current Issues and Emerging Trends in Medical Tourism focuses on the emerging phenomena of international travel by patients in search of improved healthcare services and treatment, wellness programs, and complementary recreational activities. Including extensive coverage and case studies focusing on patient mobility and new opportunities for health services across borders, this authoritative reference source is essential to the needs of healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, students, and medical professionals seeking relevant research on the relationship between global travel and access to healthcare. This publication features innovative, research-based chapters spanning the spectrum of medical travel issues including, but not limited to, customer perceptions, ethical considerations, reproductive medicine, social media use, family caregivers, organ transplants, human trafficking, and surrogacy concerns.

Healthcare and medical services have seen rapid development in various areas of the world, including Asia and Eastern Europe. These territories are now becoming a medical hub for many surrounding countries. Medical tourism is the practice of traveling to international regions for treatment that isn’t available locally. This subject has gained significant attention throughout the tourism industry, as researchers and professionals are searching for specific advancements of medical care and hospital development in numerous countries. Growth of the Medical Tourism Industry and Its Impact on Society: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a collection of innovative research on the methods and advancement of medical travel for treatment in various global regions and provides insights for the growth prospects of the medical tourism business. While highlighting topics including destination branding, community impact, and hospital management, this book is ideally designed for medical executives, hospital directors, researchers, policymakers, academicians, practitioners, scholars, and students seeking current research on tourism practices within the medical field.

Health and Wellness Tourism takes an innovative look at this rapidly growing sector of today¿s thriving tourism industry. This book examines the range of motivations that drive this diverse sector of tourists, the products that are being developed to meet their needs and the management implications of these developments. A wide range of international case studies illustrate the multiple aspects of the industry and new and emerging trends including spas, medical wellness, life-coaching, meditation, festivals, pilgrimage and yoga retreats. The authors also evaluate marketing and promotional strategies and assess operational and management issues in the context of health and wellness tourism. This text includes a number of features to reinforce theory for advanced students of hospitality, leisure and tourism and related disciplines.