Showing 17 results for Tourism
R Khodayari, S Tourani, A Qaderi, M Salehi, H Jafari,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (2-2011)
Abstract
Background: Medical tourism is an increasing industry that patients travel to abroad for receiving health care services. The countries which are successful in this industry have global accrediting quality. This research is aimed to access capabilities of selected hospitals in Iran University of Medical Sciences in attracting medical tourists according to JCI patient-oriented standards.
Materials & Methods: This research is a descriptive, cross-sectional study that carried out in Hasheminejad, Rajaie and Motahhari hospitals. To collect data patient-oriented checklist of JCI standard used. Data analyzed by using descriptive statistic techniques.
Results: The results showed the high rates of consideration is related to medication management and standards used (84/5%), and anesthesia and surgical care standards (80%) that both of them are related to Hasheminejad hospital and also patient and family rights standards (47/5%) are low rates of considerations that are related to Motahhari hospital. Generally, the mean rates of consideration in Hasheminejad (71/8%) are more than Rajaie hospital (67%) and these hospitals are more than Motahhari hospital (62/3%).
Conclusion: Generally, the selected hospitals had rather readiness and possible and appropriate capabilities in attracting medical tourists. Some standards (access to care and continuity of care, patient and family education, assessment of patients, anesthesia and surgical care) were appropriate and some of them were insufficient (patient and family rights, care of patients and patient and family education). According to identify strengths and weaknesses of the hospitals in medical tourism, they could use SWOT analytical model to increase their capabilities.
Amir Ashkan Nasiripour, Leila Salmani,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (2-2011)
Abstract
Background: Medical tourism is an opportunity for hospitals to fuel growth by tapping the potential of the international patient marketing. Some countries have specifically considered the need of the 21st century that man to fully benefit from the topic of "medical tourism" to use the available opportunities in their countries. The aim of this study was to develop of medical tourism through capability of the Tehran's hospitals.
Materials & Methods: This research is a practical in the aim used of correlations as in method. In this regards 4 hospitals in Tehran city which were active in the medical tourism area with a high number of foreign patients collected. The participants were 63 doctors and nurses worked in these hospitals. The Questionnaire was researcher made including 6 Likert scale points (5 = very much, 4=much, 3=mid, 2=little, 1 = very little and 0 = none) as the data collection tool. Validity was confirmed by using the expert opinion professional and the reliability was approved by obtaining a Cronbach alpha of 0.859. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis and Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to measure the associations between variables.
Results: The results showed that medical equipments had the best status with the mean score of 3.9 and information applying and communication techniques recorded the lowest scores with the mean of 1.7. The correlation between average revenue of foreign patients and medical equipment status followed by costs of services was 1 score with a positive significant correlation (P = 0.000).
Conclusion: Using the advance of medical equipments with high international technology and standards make a clear statement in the field of medical services fees, and making the competitive costs is the great benefit to develop medical tourism.
B Delgoshaei , H Ravaghi , N Abolhassani,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (3-2012)
Abstract
Background: Developing countries request to alternative revenue resources. Iran as one of the developing countries with high potentiality for attracting medical tourist is seeking to enter medical tourism marketing .This study aimed to analyze the importance- performance of the Tehran as a capital city to medical tourism viewed by medical tourists and medical service providers.
Materials and methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in Tehran selected hospitals in the 3th first months of 2011. The data were gathered by using a validated self-constructed questionnaire. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistical techniques.
Results: The results indicate that the majority of the medical tourists are attracted from the United Arab Emirates (22.3%). The respondents considered medical tourism factors as an importance (M=4/40±0/61).The Tehran selected hospitals` performance is average as related to medical tourism factors (M=2/75±0/66).
Conclusion: Despite the importance given to medical tourism factors by medical tourists and medical services providers, Tehran selected hospitals` performance is an average and there is no serious attempts are being made to attract medical tourists at macro levels. In spite the quality, variety and costs of the medical services and equipments in the selected hospitals are satisfactory, international accreditation of the hospitals are still in a major problems
M Hosseini, M As’adi,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (6-2014)
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Conducting further research on medical tourism as a lucrative business is required. Very little research has been conducted into medical tourism barriers and a large amount of them just note structural barriers. This study is aimed to identify the most important communicational barriers of medical tourism and provide and examine a model of such barriers considering medical tourism`s intercultural nature.
Materials & Methods: This study is applied by purpose and survey by method. The three stages in completion of this study are : 1) Identifying the most important communicational barriers of medical tourism in Iran,2) designing a model of identified barriers by using interpretive structural modeling approach 3) examining the designed model in a sample of 300 individuals.
Results: Correlation test indicates a positive and significant relationship between variables in less than 0.01 significant level. Regression analysis confirms that all independent variables are significant predictor of the dependent variables .Therefore all hypotheses are confirmed.
Conclusion: This survey identified main medical tourism communicational barriers in Iran as: Lack of understanding, Perceived linguistic difference, Lack of trust, Perceived cultural difference, Prejudice, Stereotyping. Overcoming to Lack of understanding as the major obstacle has a dramatic effect on operating medical tourism.
Keywords: Communicational Barriers, Medical Tourism
M Hosseini, M As’adi,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (6-2014)
Abstract
Background: Conducting further research on medical tourism as a lucrative business is required. Very little research has been conducted into medical tourism barriers and a large amount of them just note structural barriers. This study is aimed to identify the most important communicational barriers of medical tourism and provide and examine a model of such barriers considering medical tourism`s intercultural nature.
Materials & Methods: This study is applied by purpose and survey by method. The three stages in completion of this study are : 1) Identifying the most important communicational barriers of medical tourism in Iran,2) designing a model of identified barriers by using interpretive structural modeling approach 3) examining the designed model in a sample of 300 individuals.
Results: Correlation test indicates a positive and significant relationship between variables in less than 0.01 significant level. Regression analysis confirms that all independent variables are significant predictor of the dependent variables .Therefore all hypotheses are confirmed.
Conclusion: This survey identified main medical tourism communicational barriers in Iran as: Lack of understanding, Perceived linguistic difference, Lack of trust, Perceived cultural difference, Prejudice, Stereotyping. Overcoming to Lack of understanding as the major obstacle has a dramatic effect on operating medical tourism.
Habibullah Danaee, Hojat Rahmani, Leyla Torkzade, Mohsen Nazari ,
Volume 13, Issue 3 (12-2014)
Abstract
Background: Industry growing and work load of financial turnovers are one of the medical tourism’s reason. Because of additional capacity building in health domain especially in medical levels, medical tourism can be solved some problems similar to extra capacityby means of an essential strategy. The aim of this study was to Segment external clients based on their benefits expectations about health services in four hospitals in Iran.
Materials andMethods:In current study, library reviewing and health care experts’ viewpoints were used in order to determine the characteristics of healthcare services.After determining the variables, factor analysis was performed to brief variables.Then, cluster analysis was performed on extracted factors using K MEANS algorithm and characteristics of each cluster was determined.
Results: Four factors were extracted by factor analysis .Then, Cluster analysis was done on the factors andPatients were divided into four sections whilethe first section respect with health care services efficacy, the second and fourthparts tend to get care with respect and the third parthave a tendency to have individual ability
of hospitals.
Conclusion: Individuals obtained the most important percent to care providing with respects among four extracted clusters. Thus, hospitals should have the most focus on communication quality regarding their marketing efforts with their clients.
Sajad Shokohyar, Hassan Kavyani,
Volume 14, Issue 2 (8-2015)
Abstract
Background: in recent decades, Medical Tourism Industry has been mentioned by local countries because of its benefits such as high profits, more jobs creation and other benefits. High medical services quality is one of the most important factors developing this industry in health care centers. Therefore, concerning this issue this study assesses the provided medical services quality to the foreign patients by Medical Tourism Centers in Tehran city.
Materials and Methods: This study was an applicable and descriptive in term of purpose and nature repectively. This study conducted to assess provided services quality by Medical Tourism Centers evaluating 154 impatient foreign patients using SERVQUAL approach in ten swlwcted hospitals during March to April in 2014. Graded Integration method and terms of fuzzy set were performed considering complexcity and ambiguity in conceptualizing and weighting dimensions and indices.
Results: there was a negative gap and dissatisfaction in all dimensions and indices among foreign patients in the significant level p<0.05 except physicions and profession medical staff.
Conclusion: Considering the moderate situation of physicians and profession medical staff, modern medical facilities and equipment and appropriate medical costs comparing to services are the main factors of Medical Tourism Industry development, it is possible to enlarge Iran’s bazar portion of Medical Tourism Industry.
Alireza Jabbari, Maryam Gholami, Zahra Kavosi, Parisa Chamanpara,
Volume 15, Issue 3 (8-2016)
Abstract
Background: The subjects' demographic characteristics are factors influencing their viewpoints about healthcare quality and have a positive association with the clients’ satisfaction. This study aimed at investigating the role of demographic variables on medical tourists' viewpoints about service quality of hospitals in Shiraz.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 foreign patients who referred to Shiraz hospitals during the first six months of 2013. Data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of two parts. In the first part, medical tourists' information was collected and in the second part, their expectations and perceptions of services quality were measured using adapted SERVQUAL scale. The validity was checked out by experts and reliability confirmed by Cronbach’s Alpha test for expectations and perceptions separately (90% and 89%). Finally, data analyzed through SPSS v.16 software using independent t-test and ANOVA.
Result: According to the results, the mean score of the quality gap was estimated -0.26 for people over the age of 50 years, as it was lower than other groups. Also, the lowest total values of this quantity were related to the individuals with low level of literacy and those who stayed less than 7 days for treatment which were estimated -0.32 and -0.36 respectively. In addition, based on statistically significant dimensions, married tourists, people from Oman and those who had received eye surgery had lower gap mean score than the other patients as their total values were estimated -0.42, -0.21 and -0.22, respectively.
Conclusion: In order to develop the medical tourism industry, the demographic characteristics of the subjects should be considered in policy making and service design which can be result in majority satisfaction.
Sayed Masood Mosavi-Negad, Omid Adeli, Tahere Hariri, Neda Vali-Pour, Zahra Moshkani,
Volume 15, Issue 3 (8-2016)
Abstract
Background: Many hospitals of Iran make use of their therapeutic capacities in order to attract medical tourists and increase revenue and efficiency of their affiliated hospitals. This issue has major benefits for hospital and tourists. This study assessed the potential of medical tourists' attraction in a military hospital in Tehran.
Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive- analytical one which used secondary data to analyze. Data gained from quality improvement and finance offices, recipients of service and health information management units from the first of 2014 to the first semester of 2015. Strategic plan document were used to analyze the opportunities and strengths points.
Results: The mean of studied hospital performance indicators like bed occupancy rate, length of stay, Bed turnover, rate of admissions to bed, mortality and bedsores rates, nosocomial infections, medication error, patients' rights and patient satisfaction were 4.68 , 3.3, 5.1 , 6.6 , 5.2, 1, 69, 9.74 , 70 percent respectively. The strengths points of the studied hospital were diverse expertise, updated equipment and minimum waiting time.
Conclusion: Because of skilled man power, physical resources and especially modern equipment, the hospital does not need huge investment in medical tourists' attraction. This issue will increase admission, productivity and satisfaction of clients and staff.
Soudeh Bayat, Davood Hoseini Hasheminejad, Mahdieh Bod,
Volume 16, Issue 1 (4-2017)
Abstract
Background: Recently, the medical tourism is developing more and more over the world. Due to the potential of medical tourism in Iran, this study aimed at identifying medical tourism characteristics in terms of tourist destination and therapeutic centers in Iran.
Materials and Methods: According to literature reviews and experts interviews, components of medical tourists attraction were investigated ana a questionnaire provided. After baseline, items which were not valid and reliable omitted and final questionnaire distributed and completed among experts Such as physicions, academic members, managers and medical staff in eight public and private hospitals in Tehran city.
Results: Regarding the study results based on the respondance view, the more and the less important components of medical tourist's attraction in Iran included hospital validity, costs, quality of care, hospital staff training, position and political environment, regulatory policy, infrastructure and location of hospital and economic situation. The main problem of medical tourism represented as lack of obvious treatment process and support system. In similar studies, low tretmant costs in destination country was the important motivation of medical travel and factors such as political, economic, regulations and standards and medical centers validity have been addressed to make decisions about the origin country.
Conclusion: This study based on current and priorities assessed the developing dimensions of the medical tourism in macro and micro levels from perspective of medical tourism activists. Medical tourism development requires comprehensive and integrated approach which has been achived using coordinate cooperation, planning and implementation of micro and macro strategies among relevant organizations.
Dr Sodabeh Vatankhah, Ghasem Rajabi Vasokolaei, Dr Sogand Tourani, Samira Raoofi, Susan Rahimi,
Volume 17, Issue 4 (2-2019)
Abstract
Background: Development of the tourism sector and health tourism specifically can improve the Non-Oil GDP. In this regard, in accordance with the policies of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, international patient department establishment has been facilitatated health tourism development in the affiliated hospitals. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of international patient department and its effect on the attraction of medical tourists among hospitals affiliated to Medical Sciences Universities in Tehran City.
Matrials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was designed and conducted in 2017. Study population consisted of all hospitals affilliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU). In this study, hospital entrance criteria was certified by the Health Tourism Department of MOHME. Data was collected using the health tourism assessment checklist which approved by the MOHME. SPSS version 24 utilized to data analysis using descriptive and Inferential statistics.
Results: The study results revealed that the overall performance of international patient department was evaluated at a desirable level (87.5 score) in hospitals of Tehran city. Hospitals had the highest rank of hoteling indices (95/100), in compliance with the regulations and functional indicators gained 87.03 and 82.2 score, respectively. Also, data analysis highlighted that there was no significant difference between hospitals of TUMS, IUMS and SBMU. The establishment of international patient department had no effect on health tourists attraction.
Conclusion: Considering the purpose and mission of international patient department to facilitate the provision of quality and satisfactory services in health tourists, management and oversight mechanisms for the standards implementation such as patient admission, follow up in the origin country and development of hospital marketing policies in order to attract international patients and increase hospital incomes are recommended.
Hiwa Mirzaii, Hojjat Rahmani, Mohammad Arab, Jalal Saeidpour,
Volume 20, Issue 1 (5-2021)
Abstract
Background: Medical tourism has been considered in our country for many years. The arrival of international patients in the country will boost the medical tourism sector; however, the necessary infrastructure must be created for this. The guidelines for the establishment of the International Hospital Unit are one of the legal infrastructures for standardization in this field. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of strategic analysis of the establishment of an international patient unit in hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
Materials & Methods: This combined study was performed in 2019 in three hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences that had a license to operate this unit. In-depth interviews were conducted in each hospital with experts in this field. The data were then categorized into four categories of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and according to the results of the SWOT technique, the necessary strategies were presented.
Results: There are opportunities including low cost of medical services in Iran, low value of Iranian Rial and political and religious ties with countries in the region. Significant threats also included the existence of professional competitors, the widespread activity of brokers, and the large number of trustees for the industry within the country. Finally, appropriate strategies were presented for each hospital.
Conclusion: This market in our country faces many threats and needs policies appropriate to the current situation with an immediate action. The results also showed that two hospitals are in a competitive state and one hospital is in a defensive state.
Ali Rezapour, Forough Roodgarnejad, Nima Ranji Jifroudi,
Volume 20, Issue 3 (12-2021)
Abstract
Introduction: Health tourism is one of the most lucrative and competitive industries in the world and is a new field of tourism. The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual model of health tourism development on community welfare.
Materials and Methods: This research is qualitatively exploratory. The study population included university professors and health tourism managers. Fifteen people participated in the study through purposive non-probabilistic sampling and through semi-structured and in-depth interviews. Data analysis was performed with MAXQDA10 software and a grounded theory approach based on three stages of open, axial and selective coding. To check the validity, two methods of participatory feedback and receiving the opinions of colleagues, and to ensure the reliability of the interviews, two methods of retesting and two coders were performed.
Results: The data analysis was based on 100 keywords (open source). By identifying the relationship between the codes, 18 common concepts were categorized. The main concepts were categorized according to the axial coding method. Because traces of medical and health facilities, health tourism infrastructure, and relationship development policies were seen in most of the interviewees' quotes, they were selected as the central sub-categories of health tourism and these three items were placed at the center of the model. And other categories were associated with it.
Conclusion: The development of health tourism is a tool for the development of society and increases investment in the political, social, cultural and economic sectors of society, creates employment, increases income and people's satisfaction and vitality, and promotes the development of welfare, the improvement of the quality of life and wellbeing.
Seyed Ahmad Ahmadi, Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Paknejad Rizi, Pouran Raeissi,
Volume 21, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
Introduction: Health tourism is a new form of tourism industry that aims to maintain recovery and regain physical and mental health and has grown in recent years. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the marketing of health tourism in hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: The present study is descriptive-analytical and was conducted on 270 individuals at some point in 2021. The study population consisted of all heads, managers, matrons, quality managers and heads of international patients of public and private hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 23.
Results: The results of study showed a significant difference between the components of price, place, promotion and people in the two types of hospitals (P-value <0.05). While no significant difference was observed between other components (product, physical evidence and process) (P-value <0.05).
Conclusion: Providing the needs of medical tourists will increase their satisfaction. Therefore, paying attention to the effective factors in marketing and trying to solve the shortcomings of this field can be very effective in attracting health tourists and turning Iran into a medical tourist destination.
Ahad Norouzzadeh,
Volume 21, Issue 3 (12-2022)
Abstract
Background: Global statistics shows that health tourism grew significantly before the outbreak of Covid-19, but with the beginning of the pandemic and the closure of countries' borders to immigrants, this trend has declined significantly. The present study aimed to identify the bottlenecks of health medical tourism in the context of the outbreak of Covid-19 and to present scientific solutions for its development using two stages of content analysis and surveying.
Materials & Methods: This research is exploratory in terms of purpose and descriptive in terms of type, which was conducted by field method. Study population was selected in two stages; the first stage consisted of 20 physicians with more than 15 years of experience in Ardabil province who were chosen by snowball sampling method and the second stage consisted of 200 employees of the province's University of Medical Sciences who were randomly selected. In order to analyze the data in the first stage, the content analysis was used in 6 stages and in the second stage, the first and second order confirmatory factor analysis test was used.
Results: The research findings showed that 9 main themes and 29 sub-themes were identified as barriers and bottlenecks in health medical tourism and 23 scientific solutions were presented to reduce barriers and bottlenecks in health medical tourism in the event of COVID-19 outbreak.
Conclusion: The adaptive fit indices are good and the RMSEA value is 0.047 which indicates that the model has a good fit.
Sara Souri, Mohammad Ghafari, Hossein Shirazi, Seyed Hamid Khodadad Hosseini,
Volume 21, Issue 3 (12-2022)
Abstract
Background: Brand citizenship behavior is one of the new concepts in branding with emphasis on the role of employees. This study aims to provide a model for development of brand citizenship behavior in a way that is compatible with the local environment of medical tourism in Iran.
Materials & Methods: The present qualitative research is based on the systematic database method. The required data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 experts in medical tourism and academic experts using judgmental, snowball, and accessible sampling methods, following the saturation rule. Data analysis was done using the Strauss and Corbin model and in three stages of open, central and selective coding.
Results: Brand citizenship behavior is created as a result of causal conditions, including factors related to employees, organizations, and tourists, and through human resource support strategies and comprehensive marketing and branding planning with the influence of intervening factors, including organizational structure, management performance, characteristics of the treatment industry, Environmental factors, career history and personal quality of life are implemented in the framework of the social capital of the organization, organizational justice, quality of work life, competitive atmosphere of the work environment and social responsibility of the organization and lead to consequences related to tourists, organizations, employees and extra-organizations.
Conclusion: The model obtained from this research shows the influence of several factors in the formation of brand citizenship behavior of medical staff, which, if paid attention to by managers, will lead to the satisfaction and attraction of tourists and gain a competitive advantage.
Naser Seifollahi, Seyed Ali Naghavi,
Volume 21, Issue 4 (1-2023)
Abstract
Background: Nowadays, the medical tourism market is one of the most profitable and competitive industries in the world, and it is one of the new developed fields of tourism. Advertising is one of the methods of increasing tourist attraction and influencing tourists' decision-making to choose a destination. The present research aimed to simulate the effect of advertising on the attraction of medical tourists in the hospitals of Yazd city.
Materials and methods: The present research is applied in terms of research objective, and in terms of methodology, it is in descriptive-analytical research. The statistical community was formed by university professors and experts in the field of medical tourism, and managers of hospitals and medical centers in Yazd. The snowball method was used for sampling. Information was collected through text reviews, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with experts. The integrated and innovative approach of factor-based modeling and Taguchi method was used for data analysis, and the software used was AnyLogic and MiniTab.
Results: The results of the scenario execution revealed that among the advertising tools, internet advertising is more effective, and television ads, specialized tourism magazines, and seminars and conferences are in the next ranks. As the final output of the research, the investigation of the main effects related to each advertising tool led to identification of the suitable level of each tools and the presentation of the most favorable scenario based on the advertising program of Yazd hospitals.
Conclusion: Based on the fact that among the advertising tools, internet advertising has the greatest effect on attracting medical tourists, hospital management should pay special attention to internet advertising to attract more tourists in the field of medicine. In this way, more information will be provided to tourists and the demand for medical tourism will increase.
