TY - JOUR
T1 - Medical tourism today: What is the state of existing knowledge?
AU - Hopkins, Laura
AU - Labonte, Ronald
AU - Runnels, Vivien
AU - Packer, Corinne
PY - 2010/7
Y1 - 2010/7
N2 - One manifestation of globalization is medical tourism. As its implications remain largely unknown, we reviewed claimed benefits and risks. Driven by high health-care costs, long waiting periods, or lack of access to new therapies in developed countries, most medical tourists (largely from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe) seek care in Asia and Latin America. Although individual patient risks may be offset by credentialing and sophistication in (some) destination country facilities, lack of benefits to poorer citizens in developing countries offering medical tourism remains a generic equity issue. Data collection, measures, and studies of medical tourism all need to be greatly improved if countries are to assess better both the magnitude and potential health implications of this trade.
AB - One manifestation of globalization is medical tourism. As its implications remain largely unknown, we reviewed claimed benefits and risks. Driven by high health-care costs, long waiting periods, or lack of access to new therapies in developed countries, most medical tourists (largely from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe) seek care in Asia and Latin America. Although individual patient risks may be offset by credentialing and sophistication in (some) destination country facilities, lack of benefits to poorer citizens in developing countries offering medical tourism remains a generic equity issue. Data collection, measures, and studies of medical tourism all need to be greatly improved if countries are to assess better both the magnitude and potential health implications of this trade.
KW - Cross-border health care
KW - Global health equity
KW - Medical tourism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953499765&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1057/jphp.2010.10
DO - 10.1057/jphp.2010.10
M3 - Article
SN - 0197-5897
VL - 31
SP - 185
EP - 198
JO - Journal of Public Health Policy
JF - Journal of Public Health Policy
IS - 2
ER -