Course 

NR 552 Economics Of Healthcare Policy

Instructions  

After reading the assigned article by Turner (2010), define medical tourism and discuss how medical tourism has benefited or harmed access to care for the citizens of developing countries. What are the legal, ethical and human-caring principles that can be identified on both sides of this issue?

SOLUTION  

Medical tourism is when consumers elect to travel across international borders with the intention of receiving some form of non-emergency medical interventions abroad. According to the World Health Organization, medical tourism “may span the full range of medical services, but most commonly includes dental care, cosmetic surgery, elective surgery, and fertility treatment” (2015). Hospitals positioning themselves as leading medical tourism destinations are largely found within lower and middle-income countries. Countries such as India and Thailand have positioned themselves as leaders in this international industry.

For developing countries, medical travel may increase access to certain treatments for local communities through improved infrastructure and higher demand (WHO, 2015). For example, a two-tiered approach utilized in some hospitals in India resulted in improved services for local patients and tailored services for medical travelers (Ruggeri et. al., 2015). Revenue from medical tourism may provide opportunities to improve access and quality for local residents. Another positive outcome is that for developed countries, medical travel may result in small reductions in national health costs.….please click the purchase button below to access the entire solution $5