BACKGROUND Medical tourism is a growing phenomenon. This review of the literature maps current knowledge and discusses findings with reference to the UK National Health Service (NHS). METHODS Databases were systematically searched between September 2011 and March 2012 and 100 papers were selected for review. RESULTS The literature shows specific types of tourism depending on treatment, eg, ...

Organ transplants can be a life-saving option for individuals with organ failure, but access is often limited for various reasons, including an imbalance of supply and demand. Canadians are among those who travel abroad to obtain organs through commercial transactions.1–3 This practice — often called transplant tourism — has been condemned by the international community,4,5 including the World ...

INTRODUCTION Some patients travel out of, while others come into Africa for medical care through a growing global phenomenon referred to as medical tourism (MT): the travel in search of medical care that is either unavailable, unaffordable or proscribed at home healthcare systems. While some castigate MT as promoting healthcare inequity, others endorse it as a revenue generator, promising local...

We were interested to read Priya Shetty’s World Report examining the booming medical tourism industry in India (Aug 28, p 671). The Lancet is to be commended for bringing attention to this issue. It is of the utmost importance that trends in medical tourism be watched closely given the implications for patients’ health and safety and for health systems more broadly. Shetty places significant fo...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the magnitude and characteristics of medical tourism in Thailand and the impact of such tourism on the Thai health system and economy. METHODS In 2010, we checked the records of all visits to five private hospitals that are estimated to cover 63% of all foreign patients. We reviewed hospital records of foreign patients and obtained data on their countries of origin, d...

introduction: policy makers and decision makers of medical tourism must identify stakeholders who can be affected by and can affect this industry and determine their status for partnership. the aim of this study was to identify and analyze the main stakeholders of medical tourism in isfahan, and provide strategies for developing this industry. methods: a qualitative study was conducted in 2011....

Medical tourism emerged when people were challenged with high costs and slow service in medical care. As a consequence of these issues, people started to look for medical treatment in other countries. Globalization accelerated the growth of medical tourism. Several “push” and “pull” factors play roles in the motivation of patients to become a medical tourist. This review addresses the different...