Medical tourism, a complex interplay of healthcare, economics, and culture, offers both opportunities and challenges for patients, providers, and nations alike.
Who seeks medical services abroad, and why? Which procedures are most commonly performed, and which countries are hotspots for medical tourism? What role do intermediary healthcare facilitators play? This book offers an accessible introduction to this multifaceted topic, answering all of these questions and more. The book also explores a variety of issues related to medical tourism, including patients’ concerns about quality of care and safety and regulatory gray areas that can arise when medical care crosses national boundaries. A collection of five engaging case studies help bring the subject to life, illustrating concepts and issues discussed in the text. A glossary and annotated directory of resources round out the volume.
Series Foreword
Acknowledgements
Preface
Part I: Overview:
1. The Basics of Medical Tourism
2. Medical Tourists
3. Treatment Types
4. The Destinations: Foreign Healthcare Providers
5. The Middlemen: Medical Tourism Facilitators
6. Intrastate Medical Tourism in the United States
Part II: Controversies and Issues
7. Consumers’ Concerns Related to Medical Tourism
8. Issues Faced by Insurance Companies and Employers
9. Regulatory and Ethical Issues for Home Countries
10. The Larger Impacts of Medical Tourism
Part III. Scenarios
Directory of Resources
Glossary
Bibliography
Index:
About the Author:
Every day, the public is bombarded with information on developments in medicine and health care – and it can be hard to make sense of these complex issues that affect our daily lives. Books in the Health and Medical Issues Today series provide balanced introductions to central health issues of our time, from organ donation to infertility treatments.
· The overview section explores the background to the issue, covering historical, scientific, medical, social, and legal contexts
· The subsequent section delves into controversies and issues around the topic, and analyzes in a balanced manner the viewpoints in the debate
· Case studies in the final section enable readers to see the concepts discussed in the text brought to life, each accompanied by a thoughtful analysis