Medical tourism, or the process of leaving a home location for health care treatment in other locations broad is becoming an emerging trend. Outbound medical tourism is most likely going to grow at a fast rate within the next few years. With health care costs rising exponentially, this concept is important to explore as consumers are becoming more open to the idea of traveling to seek care that is less expensive, safe, and effective. Most patients are going to become more interested in having treatment abroad if the quality is savings are possible and quality is close to the type of treatment available in the United States.
Research shows the most well know inbound and outbound programs, in addition to the several aspects of each that attracts individuals to these medical tourism opportunities. The key point to focus on is that the consumer is typically attracted to considerations about quality, service, and price; therefore, the industry must attract them based on these factors as well as individual needs and wants. Price sensitivity is growing, specifically for people with insurance programs that apply high deductibles. Medical tourism could be a possibility that will allow for quality and price to provide a high value for patients and providers (Pitts & Battiste, 2013).
Several patients travel long distances to have medical care, and taking advantage of these benefits; further expanding these facilities to grow the industry overall. It is important to understand the three categories of medical tourism. Outbound involves individuals going to countries abroad, inbound includes patients who come to the United States, and intrabound is when patients travel in domestic locations within the country. The growth rate in all three...
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Pitts, Byron and Battiste, Nikki. “As more Americans have surgeries overseas, US companies consider ‘medical tourism’ a health care option.” September 30, 2013. Nightline-ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/americans-surgeries-overseas-us-companies-medical-tourism-health/story?id=20423011 Tseng, H. (2013). Medical health care tourism: Why patients go overseas and what nurse practitioners need to know. International Journal Of Healthcare Management, 6(2), 132-135. Doi: 10.1179/2047971912Y.0000000026
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According to Harry A. Sultz and Kristina M. Young, the authors of our textbook Health Care USA, medical care in the United States is a $2.5 Trillion industry (xvii). This industry is so large that “the U.S. health care system is the world’s eighth
Strengths Long-standing reputation Provision of quality healthcare Highest rank in patient satisfaction Recipient of Joint Commission accreditation Serving a diverse population Weaknesses Smaller than other four hospitals Decrease in net profit Increase in expenses Significant increase in long-term debt Not-for-profit status Opportunities Changes in government regulations Change in lifestyle Influx of patients due to higher patient satisfaction Cost savings Opening of some outpatient clinics and surgery centers Threats Too much competition
The revenue of the healthcare industry unlike any other depends on the inpatient occupancy or ALOS(average length of stay), the volume of outpatient visits and procedures, the services ordered for the inpatients and outpatient. For CHS the majority of its revenue comes from Managed care and other insurers ( apart from govt. insurance) with 54.5%, after which comes the gover...
As healthcare costs continue to escalate in the United States, employer healthcare plans are looking for alternatives pricing plans to lower healthcare insurance costs for their employees. Blue Ridge Paper Products (BRPP) is one company in Canton, North Carolina who is attempting to decrease healthcare costs for their employees by offering health promotion incentives and more cost effective provider reimbursement options (McLaughlin & McLaughlin, 2008). McLaughlin and McLaughlin (2008) explain while the health promotion strategies they have instituted have been successful at lowering BRPP’s healthcare claims, they have found it difficult to negotiate lower costs with local healthcare providers. In this paper, I will discuss possible consumer and provider bargaining strategies with regarding to lowering healthcare costs; the benefits of a large academic medical center and a large tertiary community hospital; and finally, how medical global tourism will affect state and national healthcare policies.
Health care advancements in America are notably the best in the world. We continually strive for preventions and cures of diseases. America has the best medical scientists and physicians that specialize in their medical fields. According to Joseph A. Califano Jr. (2003), "what makes America health care system great is its ability to attract the finest minds in our society," that can help the sick by preventing and curing medical complications. (p. 18). We are noted worldwide for our medical care and physicians from other countries jump at the opportunity to join the American medical system.
The globalization of trade is predominantly relevant for health services that have become a commodity that can be traded in distinct ways. Primarily, health services can be provided across countries. Examples of this include a range of telemedicine tools like tele-diagnostics and tele-radiology as well as medical consultation through traditional and electronic methods. Secondly, patients can travel overseas/abroad to obtain health care or use certain facilities available elsewhere (Pang, 2004).
Among the 13 nations that have advanced modern medical facilities, USA is ranked 12th and this is primarily because the service brought on board overly by the entire medical industry is poor. World Health Organization equates medical service in US to that offered in less technologically ...
In the a time of rising costs in the U.S., not to mention a contentious political debate over insurance and medical care, Costa Rica’s take on the issue is refreshing. This is an advantage and benefits to residents and citizens of Costa Rica. Health care is cost is very cheap and easy to access. Individuals do not loss standard of care. Several of these doctors are educated in the United States, Canada, or Europe they are familiar with all the up-to-date procedures, all the clinics and hospitals have innovative tools and equipment like Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The disadvantage of Costa Rica’s healthcare system include the long waiting hours for residents who needs to get ultrasounds, CT scans, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging done. The waiting period may take months or weeks in a non-emergency situation. It is also the similar with non-emergency surgery. The doctors, nurses, and administrative staff mostly speak English. It is very annoying for patients who mainly speak
Ventres W. “Answers to US health care issues from other countries” Fam Med. Sep 2011 43(8):592-3. PubMed PMID: 21918943
Managed care, managed care has become the dominant health care delivery source. Gaining popularity in 1990s, managed care increased from 27% in 1988 to 99% in 2009 and enrollment in Fee for Service plans decli...
While doing my rotations in New York, it was exhilarating to see first-hand the interdependence of research, modern/advanced medicine and infrastructure. I saw for myself, the difference these advances made in the care of patients and medical outcome thereof. On the other hand I was also heartbroken as I realized from case to case what difference such facilities as I was exposed to in New York could have made in the life of my people in Nigeria considering the high mortality rate I have witnessed in Nigeria. I resolved in my heart to seek the opportunity to train in the United States with the hope that one day I would be able to replicate to the extent I can, the quality of care I have seen in the United States for patients in my
When promoting primary health care services, there are many factors that must be considered when developing an effective marketing plan. Primary care providers are the gatekeepers of health care in the United States; many patients have to visit them before being referred to specialist providers (Bodenheimer, 2003). They are also being tasked with ensuring patients are receiving preventative services and managing more complex chronic diseases (Akinci & Healey, 2004). Recruitment of primary care physicians is challenging because they are expected to do more and are not being reimbursed proportionally for the added workload (Bodenheimer, 2003). In this paper, a group of primary care physicians in Washington D.C. is looking to research their consumer population base in order to provide them better services and recruit new primary care physicians to their practice (Colorado State University-Global Campus, 2013). A successful primary care marketing plan will recruit quality health care providers while improving consumer accessibility to their services, customer satisfaction rates, and patients’ continuity of care with their health care provider.
Like all professions and disciplines, nursing is influenced by, and must respond to global trends needs, challenges, and opportunities. These strategies will influence and shape the future of the nursing community and health care nationally and internationally. Also in a global committee health care exhibit problems some of which are political, educational, educational, nursing , environment and social issues. Therefore, improving and achieving health in a global community is of great concern to the nursing profession. Hence, “health and healing varies across countries and culture, the pursuit of healthy individuals and communities is a universal goal” (Jacobsen, 2008, p. 1). Nurses can be advocate, educator, counselor as well as an advocate to this society.
Challenges Facing UAE Health Care System UAE Health Care System Strategy Achievement is not coming easily. Achievements require energy as well as a good plan and strategy to achieve them successfully, that is what the United Arab Emirates (UAE) health care system does. The ambition of the UAE health care system to become one of the favorite destinations for local patients and a center for international medical tourists need high quality and cost-effective procedures and treatments, that is what makes UAE put in place a long-term strategy to achieve this aspiration (WHO, 2009). In order to support the health care system, the UAE government is increasingly focused on its efforts to attract unique high-level health care providers to the UAE. However, despite the strong support of the UAE government, health care providers, are still facing major challenges to grow and operate in the UAE (Eid. n.d.
Whitla, P., Walters, P., Davies, H. 2007, Global strategies in the international hotel industry, Hospitality Management, vol. 26, pp. 777–792.