Healthcare has always involved travel, with people journeying to places traditionally known for healing or to seek out specialist medical expertise that may not be available more locally. More recently, medical tourism has grown at an unprecedented pace, often driven by commercial interests. When something goes wrong far from home, however, the consequences can be severe.
This groundbreaking book challenges the status quo of medical tourism, shifting the focus from competition and volume to what truly matters: value, safety and accountability. It explores the realities of cross-border care, from the motivations behind patient travel to the complex web of facilitators, insurers and providers that shape the journey. With a critical eye, it addresses the recurring challenges of incomplete information, unclear responsibilities, poor follow-up and avoidable harm and will educate, inform, guide and inspire stakeholders to integrate sustainable practices in medical tourism.
Key Features:
- Explains why patients travel to gain faster access, cultural comfort and services unavailable at home.
- Uncovers the hidden complexities including coordination gaps, ethical dilemmas and environmental costs of cross-border care.
- Explores the role of technology and how digital tools can enhance safety-or create new risks.
- Provides a roadmap for the future with practical tools and measurable indicators to ensure care is safe, sustainable and trustworthy.
Written for clinicians, managers, facilitators, insurers, policymakers and patients, this book provides actionable insights, emphasizing environmentally friendly practices, ethical considerations and high-quality patient care needed to transform medical tourism into transnational healthcare that prioritizes outcomes over promises.
