medical tourism in social media

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How Social Media Is Influencing Medical Tourism

Over the last decade, medical tourism has grown in popularity in Western culture. With healthcare costs increasing in the US, many Americans are seeking out destinations where quality procedures are much cheaper. The result is a drastic boom in the medical tourism industry.

According to GlobalData, medical tourism is defined as “travel undertaken to another country to receive medical care or advice.” This includes both physical and mental healthcare. Medical tourism has existed subtly for centuries with humans traveling to other destinations for medical care. However, some experts believe social media is playing a role in the new growth.

In 2017, more than 1.4 million Americans participated in medical tourism, according to the American Journal of Medicine. At the time, procedures overseas were 30 to 65 percent cheaper than in the US; making it a prime opportunity for Americans who can’t afford domestic services.

The industry took a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it has recovered rapidly with over 780,000 Americans projected to travel abroad for medical procedures in 2022, according to Healthcare.gov.

Social Media’s Part in the Rise of Medical Tourism

Travel medicine professionals are attributing some of the increase in medical tourism’s popularity to social media influence. The Journal of Travel Medicine said the impact of social media remained consistent throughout the pandemic. Still, most online influencers do not understand the major role they play in influencing others to seek medical services abroad.

“We believe that social media influencer tourism should be recognized as a novel entity in travel medicine, in order to protect this vulnerable group of travelers from harm to themselves and their hosts, and to harness their potential as communicators of public health messages,” the Journal said.

Professionals are questioning the lengths social media influencers will go to satisfy their online following, even if it means persuading them to take hazardous medical tourism risks. With 88 percent of social media users saying they would consult with an online influencer before booking a trip, there are concerns about the trustworthiness of social media influence on medical tourism.

The Journal of Travel Medicine went on to say that social media influencers “play an increasingly significant role in disseminating health-related information to the public.” Professionals hope influencers take their role in travel medicine more seriously due to the increased risks associated with medical tourism, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also warns of an increased risk of infection when traveling for overseas procedures.

“Recent examples include surgical site infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria in patients who underwent cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic,” the CDC says, “and Q fever in patients who received fetal sheep cell injections in Germany.”

Destinations Seeing The Greatest Demand

The Dominican Republic has been a hotspot for American travelers seeking out medical tourism. Not only has the destination been popularized online as a hub for low-cost cosmetic procedures, but it’s also hailed in urban culture and music as the go-to place for medical tourism.

Ironically, the Dominican Republic has a long history of medical tourism that resulted in the hospitalization of travelers, according to Insider. This includes a New York man who died after a plastic surgery procedure in 2019 and the death of an African-American mother who died in December 2022 after surgery in the Caribbean country, according to NBC 5.

Despite the dangers and warnings about medical tourism, social media influencer marketing is one of the primary tools used to garner new clientele, according to Medical Tourism Magazine. Medical travel experts hope more checks and balances will be implemented to ensure public safety is at the forefront of online travel influencer marketing.

“The importance of full disclosure where influencers are sponsored by commercial firms, as well as the recognition of fake influencers, must be considered when involving social media influencers in public health promotion activities,” the Journal of Travel Medicine read.

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Social Media’s Part in the Rise of Medical Tourism

Destinations Seeing The Greatest Demand

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Marketing Medical Tourism on Social Media Channels

Most providers, regardless of where they are located USA or Uruguay or Uganda, simply have no expertise or resources to properly and effectively manage social media marketing and they lack the know how to track and benefit from the return on investment. Attracting strong social-media talent is a struggle across many industries, but healthcare has historically spent little on marketing and social media, are now compete with the Google, Apple and and consultants of varying skill and cultural insight to be effective. These hurdles are even more noticeable in medical tourism start-ups.

When you enter a relationship with a new friend and you visit their home, you don’t just kick in the door and announce what’s on sale at your shop.

Doing that is rude in person – as even more inconsiderate in social media networks.

The biggest hurdle is relevancy

How does a medical tourism seller or provider become relevant on Facebook, Twitter, VK, Pinterest, or some other platform? How do you prove your value and how do you overcome public distrust or lack of awareness of your brand value and existence?”

On Facebook, I run two groups for the medical tourism industry.

Medical Tourism and Travel Suppliers Medical Tourism Facilitator’s and Travel Agents Lounge

People join often and then, I get reports that they’ve done just that: barged in and plastered the group with irrelevant spammy posts.

In one group – described as the place for facilitators and travel agents and referral agents to share industry best practices and insights, they post their advertisement of medical tourism services as a facilitator – to their competitors – other facilitators. This gets them kicked out and blocked same day or shortly thereafter.

In the other group, described as the place for hospitals and sellers to market what they do, they don’t post. This gets them no return on investment because they seem to just lurk. We now realize that it is because they simply don’t know how to use Facebook for social marketing. The link to their sites and their content would make them place higher in searches if more people like their articles, but they don’t post content that’s relevant to the public. They post ads. The two are not the same.

In this sense, I don’t believe that the problem is 100% culturally driven. Instead, I believe that what is happening is that no one taught these overly zealous, inexperienced and untrained marketers how to take the time to knock, listen, be invited in, understand what the community is about and what the norms are before they try to push their advertisements instead of content out there and engage with that audience. I see the same thing happening on LinkedIn Pulse articles, and in LinkedIn Groups and Google Communities about medical tourism that I manage. I have these groups to share content generously. But I also have them as a study lab to see what is happening in the marketplace from the consumer side, the government side, and the supplier side, as well as the facilitator side. As a medical tourism business don’t start your social media strategy at such a simplistic level as to start (and end) with your objectives, That approach doesn’t work.

Start with content that targeted patients are interested in. Do lots of social listening and responding when appropriate, not just to respond.

Avoid plastering the group with spammy ads or links to your spammy content. Instead, start discussions by talking and seeking guidance from others who are peers within the community members. Leverage your traffic analytics and engagement analytics to indicate what resonates within a community. Do they comment? Do they share? Or do they ignore you?

Many medical tourism sellers copy and paste information about diseases and conditions and procedures from National Institute of Health, Mayo Clinic and other similar authority websites. They do so without attribution. I used to think it was laziness to write one’s own content. Now I realize, they simply don’t know better, they don’t have content of their own, they have no domain knowledge or authority and someone told them they needed content so they stole it just to have something. That tanks their search engine rankings because the webcrawlers, upon finding plagiarized content drop your site to page 43.

If you are new to medical tourism and social media marketing to attract new leads, Bring in some volunteer patients to serve as a digital advisory board and ask for help to inform content. Many are great influencers and have even created content themselves—poems, videos, songs—but they are talking about how a your product or service has helped them. That’s one way you can tie together living and managing a medical or dental or psychiatric condition but also bring your product or service into that discussion.

About Social Media Comments

If you are going to enter social media marketing, you have to plan for social listening. But responding to comments can pose headaches. Adverse event reporting has been a concern for pharma since the advent of social media. It can also be a headache for hospitals, clinics, doctors, and the treatments and procedures they perform and prescribe. Part of the winning social media marketing strategy will be to determine which comments require attention.

Respond to direct questions and provide supportive, encouraging comments- but be careful how you word apologies. Sometimes people just want to let off steam and feel heard, and a response in those cases may only exacerbate the situation if not worded properly. One best practice is to only respond in those situations if you can help.

Publish community guidelines to set expectations and stick to them. In some instances it is best not to respond at all.

Measuring KPIs

What does “good performance” look like? How is it measured?

If you are attempting to build brand awareness, then likes, shares and comments all matter because they drive your reach.

When building relationships and providing resources, content relevance and engagement are two KPIs. As a consulting firm, that’s how I determined Mercury would set its strategy and goals. Is it working? Absolutely! We have more than 350,000 followers combined across all channels who engage and share and re-share our content. They write me “thank you” notes and tell me how much the article helped them avoid mistakes, oversights, and costly errors and expenditures. As a consultant and industry authority on medical tourism, I educate and advocate for my clients’ successes. I don’t need to sell with advertising because when they continue to read and follow and share, I know that they know who they are going to call when the time comes to ask for personalized advice or coaching.

I compare our results and follows and engagement with competitors in the industry. Anyone can get likes by advertising.but I’d prefer a smaller community of the right clients and prospects to a large community of uninterested, unengaged “likers”. Active conversations—and the insights we can pull from them—are what success looks like to us.

Your Facebook page for your company is not going to generate medical tourism leads, in most cases. That’s not how it works. There are a lot of data points to monitor, but you must first set those up clearly at the beginning. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in a world where you’re counting likes but see no business conversion into revenues.

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Applications of social media for medical tourism marketing: an empirical analysis

2018, Anatolia

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Authoritative guidance, training and insights on the business of health tourism

Measuring the roi benefits of social media for medical tourism providers, established hospitals and clinics are comfortable focusing on traditional metrics. they expect that sales agents (facilitators, travel agents, and tour operators) and traditional media buys to promote to their target markets and drive immediate sales..

Social media for any business is a longer-term sales cycle than traditional sales, but in social media for medical tourism is proving to be far more effective.

In medical tourism, the objective of social media is not to make an immediate sale. It’s about building relationships that drive potential and repeat customers love your brand and your products, trust your authority and position your company as the clear choice when it comes time to make their medical tourism purchase decision.

Social media for medical tourism marketing requires a strategy to continuously interact. If a person is your fan/follower for 3 months, interacting with your content, discussing how they benefited from your care or counsel, their personal story about their outcomes and their satisfaction, and what they enjoyed most about their medical tourism experience – they will convince others to select your business or destination over the competition.

There are six distinct ways to measure and achieve return on Social Media engagement investment:

What is reach? Reach is the number of unique individuals who have seen social media content published by a medical tourism provider on a social network. For example, if you post a status update on Facebook and 700 people saw your post, you had a reach of 700. This means that you were able to deliver the specific update to 700 potential customers. What did they learn in exchange for their time and curiosity?

User Engagement

When people comment or share what they found on your social media platforms that interested them and that will interest their friends, family and followers. Consider this a form of free publicity. In reality, it is only free when someone share’s it. It costs the author /publisher an investment of money and time to create and post and build a social media presence in the internet. What is the return on investment (ROI) of the content you authored or published?

Fans and Followers

When medical tourism patients or prospects convert into fans and followers, a relationship is developed which enables a casual 24/7 marketing channel with them. You have the ability to literally promote your spa, hospital, clinic or destination to them whenever you want – which was never possible before. How will you nurture and grow this new relationship?

One of the most popular ways to build fans and followers is to run a sweepstakes. In 2009, the Medical Tourism Association tried this method by holding a sweepstakes for a medical tourism surgery. It made some key mistakes with this approach. First, winners were not published. This left people wondering what happened. Second, the deadline for entries was on one date and the “monthly drawing” was not maintained, such that the February drawing was still up and there was no result posted months later. While this approach might work with a chocolate confectioner, running a sweepstakes for a free gallbladder surgery probably won’t attract a large number of followers or fans.

In order to get your customers involved and attracting new fans, encourage them to share their user-generated content on your social network site. You should not, however, request fans and followers to “like” or “follow” your posts. New Facebook algorithms will classify you as “a spammer” if the robot readers can identify this word pattern in your post or photo meme. Instead, add value in that which you post so that fans and followers organically like or follow or share your post.

User-Generated Content

User-generated content includes posts, comments, star ratings, and reviews on social media platforms. User-generated content (UGC) is not difficult to enable on your website. It can be highly cost-effective when it works. User-generated content allows your online visitors to boost your marketing by increasing the interactivity of your site. Google and other search engines award extra points for this in their algorithms.

User-generated content can enhance relevance, domain authority (DA) and page authority (PA) as well as help you provide a trustworthy and personalized source of information. Allowing medical tourism patients, visitors and prospects to share their opinion or ask questions on your site can enrich their online experience and make it more interesting for visitors to browse your site. Keeping new content continually appearing on your site can also help you increase your rankings in search engines. To achieve success with social media for medical tourism, you need a strategy and tactical plan to execute the strategy and maintain momentum and “share of voice”.

By create engaging questions for discussion you invite readers and visitors to your site or social media platform to engage. When you share your knowledge, you help your followers. If they aren’t interested in and don’t engage in what you have to say, they aren’t real followers. So often, medical providers solicit their employees to follow or become fans. That’s tantamount to “shilling” because if they don’t react, respond, contribute to the social media experience with user generated content, why are they there? Shills are people who are engaged in covert advertising. The shill attempts to spread buzz by personally endorsing the product in public forums with the pretense of sincerity, when in fact he is being paid for his services or presence.

While it takes more effort to learn how to participate and influence the conversation, you must fine the right balance between listening, sharing your own information and relevant content. Don’t attempt to grow user-generated content if you don’t plan to recognize people’s comments by retweeting or replying to them, or if you simply don’t have time to keep up the momentum.

Gathering New Email Addresses

It is important to send emails that are relevant to your visitors’ and patients’ interests in order to make your content more personalized and your correspondence more likely to be opened. Your biggest lead source of email addresses is usually website visitors and a common way to get their email addresses is through sign-up forms on a landing page or in a sidebar widget. Segment users by different data points to send highly targeted email campaigns to drive higher open rates, click-through rates and sales. Tell subscribers what to expect when they give you their email address.

Efficient & Effective Advertising

Advertising is paid promotion. Target ads to individuals and groups of individuals by creating personas that take into consideration these 11 different data points:

• Location (Country, State, City and Zipcode) • Age • Gender • Precise Interests : These are pulled from users profile activities, interests, job titles, education, preference lists, pages they have liked and groups they belong to. • Broad Categories : These are pre-organized personas you create by examining basically anything a target or existing customer does, clicks on, or writes anywhere where you collect data. • Connections : Users who like specific Facebook items on your Facebook Fan Page. • Friends of Connections : Users whose friends like specific Facebook Pages. • Interested In: This allows a business to target Facebook users according to the gender they are interested in for a disease, condition, cause, or other health matter they have disclosed.

Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism Research—A Review of the Literature (1970–2020) and Research Agenda

1 Institute for Big Data Research in Tourism, School of Tourism Sciences, Beijing International Studies University, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100024, China; nc.ude.usib@anilgnohz (L.Z.); moc.361@5220niloabgned (B.D.); moc.361@gnay__uyil (L.Y.)

Baolin Deng

Alastair m. morrison.

2 Greenwich Business School, Old Royal Naval College, University of Greenwich, London SE10 9SL, UK; [email protected]

J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak

Associated data.

Data are reported in the article.

Medical, health and wellness tourism and travel represent a dynamic and rapidly growing multi-disciplinary economic activity and field of knowledge. This research responds to earlier calls to integrate research on travel medicine and tourism. It critically reviews the literature published on these topics over a 50-year period (1970 to 2020) using CiteSpace software. Some 802 articles were gathered and analyzed from major databases including the Web of Science and Scopus. Markets (demand and behavior), destinations (development and promotion), and development environments (policies and impacts) emerged as the main three research themes in medical-health-wellness tourism. Medical-health-wellness tourism will integrate with other care sectors and become more embedded in policy-making related to sustainable development, especially with regards to quality of life initiatives. A future research agenda for medical-health-tourism is discussed.

1. Introduction

In 1841, Thomas Cook organized a tour of 570 people to travel from Leicester to Loughborough’s hot springs [ 1 ]. This was the first historically documented tour arranged by a travel agent. However, far earlier, people in Ancient Greece used to travel considerable distances for medical treatment [ 2 ]. Thus, the pursuit of health and medical care has been an essential reason for travel for centuries.

Today, people continue to travel in the pursuit of relaxation, for health reasons, as well as fitness and well-being [ 3 ]. As a response to this growing demand, countries, medical providers, and hospitality and tourism organizations are adapting to offer a broader set of medical, health, and wellness tourism experiences.

The concept of medical-health-wellness tourism has emerged relatively recently as a scholarly field of enquiry in tourism [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Although it has been pointed out that travel medicine has existed for 25 years [ 7 ], much of the research related to this has traditionally focused on medical aspects with inadequate consideration given to travel or tourism. Medical-health-wellness tourism can be classified into two primary categories according to a tourist’s choice - obligatory or elective. Obligatory travel occurs when required treatments are unavailable or illegal in the place of origin of the traveler and, as a result of this, it becomes necessary to travel elsewhere to access these services. Elective travel is usually scheduled when the time and costs are most suitable, and the treatments may even be available in the travelers’ home regions [ 8 ]. Other studies have classified these forms of travel and tourism into specific types based on the purpose of the treatment, such as dental tourism [ 9 ], stem cell tourism [ 10 ], spa tourism [ 11 ], springs tourism [ 12 ], IVF treatment [ 13 ], hip and knee replacements, ophthalmologic procedures, cosmetic surgery [ 5 ], cardiac care, and organ transplants [ 14 ].

A consensus is yet to be established on the definitions and contents of medical-health-wellness tourism, and how they interact, including their potential overlaps. Medical travel and tourism, health tourism, wellness tourism, and other similar terms (e.g., birth tourism, cosmetic surgery tourism, dental tourism) tend to be investigated separately in tourism research [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Notwithstanding the apparently disconnected nature of published research in this field, medical-health-wellness tourism has become much more popular for a variety of economic, cultural, lifestyle and leisure reasons [ 11 , 21 , 22 ]. Given their rapid development, it seems appropriate to conduct a comprehensive review of the definitions, history, typologies, driving factors, and future directions for these forms of tourism.

This study firstly reviews existing scholarly research through a meta-analysis of medical-health-wellness publications in the context of tourism ( Section 2 ). Then, the method used to analyze the data collected from ISI Web of Science is outlined in Section 3 , followed by a discussion of the research findings ( Section 4 ). Finally, in Section 5 , the conclusions, future research directions, and limitations of the study are presented.

2. Scholarly Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism

Previous reviews of the literature and meta-analyses have contributed to clarifying the overall understanding of medical-health-wellness tourism. Existing literature reviews tend to be very broad, spanning health-oriented tourism, medical tourism, sport and fitness tourism, adventure tourism, well-being (Yang sheng in Chinese) tourism, cosmetic surgery tourism, spa tourism, and more.

Medical tourism is an expanding global phenomenon [ 15 , 23 , 24 ]. Driven by high healthcare costs, long patient waiting lists, or a lack of access to new therapies in some countries, many medical tourists (mainly from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe) often seek access to care in Asia, Central and Southern Europe, and Latin America [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. There are potential biosecurity and nosocomial risks associated with international medical tourism [ 28 ]. One research study collected 133 electronic copies of Australian television programs (66 items) and newspapers (65) about medical care overseas from 2005 to 2011 [ 29 ]. By analyzing these stories, the researchers discovered that Australian media coverage of medical tourism was focused geographically mainly on Asia, featuring cosmetic surgery procedures and therapies generally not available in Australia. However, people tend to engage with medical tourism for a broad range of reasons. In some cases, it is better service quality or lower treatment costs that prevail. In other cases, treatments may not be available locally, or there are long patient waiting lists for non-emergency medical care. Some 100 selected articles were reviewed and categorized into different types of medical tourism depending on the medical treatments they involved, such as dentistry, cosmetic surgery, or fertility work [ 25 ]. An analysis was done on 252 articles on medical tourism posted on the websites of the Korean Tourism Organization and the Korean International Medical Association [ 30 ]. This work enhanced the understanding of medical tourism in Korea as well as identifying the key developmental characteristics. Another research study detailed patient experiences in medical travel, including decision making, motivations, risks, and first-hand accounts [ 31 ]. A literature review was conducted on international travel for cosmetic surgery tourism [ 5 ] and it concluded that the medical travel literature suffered from a lack of focus on the non-surgery-related morbidity of these tourists.

Another set of authors defined health tourism as a branch of tourism in general in which people aim to receive specific treatments or seek an enhancement to their mental, physical, or spiritual well-being [ 32 ]. This systematic literature review assessed the value of destinations’ natural resources and related activities for health tourism. It was argued that most of the research on health tourism has focused on travel from developed to developing countries, and that there is a need to study travel between developed nations [ 33 ].

Wellness tourism is a key area of relevant research as well [ 34 ]. One research study reviewed trends in wellness tourism research and concluded that tourism marketing had so far failed to tap into the deeper meaning of wellness as a concept [ 35 ]. The emergence of health and wellness tourism was explored with their associated social, political, and economic influences [ 13 ]. A review was conducted of the development of wellness tourism using the concept of holistic wellness tourism where it was found that the positive impacts of this type of tourism on social and economic well-being were key to its rising levels of popularity [ 36 ].

All in all, although earlier literature reviews provide invaluable insights into medical-health-wellness tourism, there is a lack of studies that approach this concept in a holistic way. This research seeks to redress this balance by delivering a holistic review of the literature with the following objectives in mind: (1) investigating international journal articles across the typologies of tourism outlined above; (2) identifying influential scholars that have significantly contributed to this field; and (3) summarizing key trends in markets, industry development and promotion, as well as policy-making and impacts. In order to achieve this, a systematic review was conducted to analyze research articles in medical-health-wellness tourism published over a 50-year period from 1970 to 2020.

3.1. Data Collection

A two-step approach was adopted for the development of a database of publications for analysis with CiteSpace. The first step involved a search for relevant, high-quality refereed articles in medical-health-wellness tourism. Several academic journal databases, within tourism and hospitality but also including other disciplines too, were searched for relevant articles in medical-health-wellness tourism using a set of selected keywords. The ISI Web of Science and Scopus were chosen for this purpose as a result of their international recognition and comprehensiveness. Articles included in the list of references of selected articles were also considered valid as part of this search, in line with methodological suggestions for systematic literature searches [ 37 ]. Cited articles were also collected from prominent journals, including the Southern Medical Journal, Journal of Travel Medicine, BMC Public Health, Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, Journal of Travel Research, and Journal of Vacation Marketing. Non-tourism related journals were selected as well including Amfiteatru Economic, Asia Pacific Viewpoint, Public Personal Management, and Revista de Historia Industrial. Adding these references not only delivered a higher number of relevant articles to the database, but it also increased its representativeness.

The second step involved using appropriate, valid and representative search keywords. A total of 986 articles were gathered using the following keywords: medical tourism, health tourism, wellness tourism, and spa tourism. After careful sorting of these publications, using their abstracts and keywords, the number of articles in the database was narrowed down to 802. Of these, 615 were obtained using the keywords medical tourism or wellness tourism, 157 were located by searching for health tourism, and 30 were discovered using spa tourism as the search term. Using the above keywords and restricting the search to 50 years (1970–2020), the first article was found to be published in 1974. As a result, the ensuing analysis of the literature comprises the period from 1974 to 2020.

3.2. Data Analysis

The research tool used for this study was CiteSpace, which is a bibliometric analysis software developed by Professor Chaomei Chen of Drexel University based on the Java framework [ 38 ]. This software assists researchers in the analysis of research trends in a specific field of knowledge and presents scientific knowledge structures through visualization. It has been applied to numerous research fields by scholars from many countries. The data processing for this research used the software V.5.7.R2 (64-bit) version.

The data were classified and analyzed to achieve three specific goals. The first and primary goal of this review work was to analyze the content of the chosen articles, including year of publication, authors, journal impact factors, and the institutional affiliations of scholars in this field. The data were then sorted into categories. The order of authorship was not recorded. For multiple-authored articles, each author was given the same level of credit as sole authors. Second, one of the aims of this research was to discover associations in authorships, regions, and affiliations using statistical analysis. Third, the 802 articles were classified into dominant thematic categories applying the approach proposed by Miles and Huberman [ 39 ]. Three flows of analytical activities were targeted here: data reduction, data display, and verification of data. In the data reduction activity, the word count technique was adopted. Through content analysis, each article’s title and full-text body were recorded for word counting. The most frequently appearing words were extracted to represent the main topics of the collected articles. The dominant thematic categories to be explored further based on the content analysis and word count were: (1) tourism market: tourist demand and behavior; (2) tourism destinations: development and promotion; and (3) tourism development contexts: policies and impacts.

Finally, in order to refine the set of topic sub-categories, abstracts, first paragraphs, and conclusions were read to make the most appropriate assignments. This approach contributed to the more advanced stages of development of the classification of sub-categories and, consequently, the verification of findings.

This section presents the results of the data analysis carried out in this study and provides further insights on the methodology adopted.

4.1. Overview of Articles Published

The 802 articles selected were all published in English and in international peer-reviewed academic journals. Figure 1 displays the timeline distribution of the research on medical-health-wellness tourism and shows a steady growth in publications in this field between 1974 and 2020. This growth in scholarly activity is particularly significant from 2010 onwards. In fact, 74.9% of the articles were published between 2013 and 2020.

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Number of articles by publication year.

4.2. Source Journals

Initially, the first stage of this literature search involved identifying academic journals publishing research articles on medical-health-wellness tourism. It was found that 38 articles had been published on this topic in Tourism Management, and 24 articles in Social Science & Medicine. Table 1 shows the top ten tourism journals for publications in this field, with Tourism Management in first place.

Tourism journals publishing articles on medical-health-wellness tourism.

Non-tourism journals in fields such as business, economics, and health, also contributed a significant number of publications in this field, as shown in Table 2 .

Non-tourism journals publishing articles on medical-health-wellness tourism.

4.3. Author Productivity and Authorship Analysis

The second aim was to identify the most prolific scholars in medical-health-wellness tourism research. This was achieved using co-occurrence network analysis of the authors of relevant research articles ( Figure 2 ). Each node in the co-occurrence map shown in Figure 2 represents a given scholar. The larger the node, the more articles the authors published on the topic, with the connections between nodes representing cooperation between authors.

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Author article productivity.

Among the 2381 authors identified, 1820 (76.4%) contributed to only one article, whereas the remaining 561 (23.6%) authored two or more articles. The three most prolific authors were Jeremy Snyder, Valorie Crooks, and Rory Johnston.

4.4. Author Regions and Affiliations

Another objective was to illustrate the relationships and networks of authors publishing research on medical-health-wellness tourism. An analysis of countries this research originated from was carried out using the CiteSpace software. Figure 3 shows that scholars publishing in this field were distributed across 61 countries. The largest group of authors originated from the USA ( n =197). The second and third largest groups corresponded to Canada ( n = 88) and the UK ( n = 84), respectively, followed by Australia ( n = 70) and South Korea ( n = 65). As shown in Figure 3 , authors from the USA and Canada have made the most significant contributions to medical-health-wellness tourism based on the number of journal articles published.

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Country of origin of authors in medical-health-wellness tourism.

As shown in Figure 4 , a significant number of scholars publishing in this field ( n = 47) were affiliated to Simon Fraser University in Canada. This university was followed by Sejong University in South Korea ( n = 13), and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( n = 13) in the UK. The top universities in terms of author frequency were based in Canada, USA, Australia, UK, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

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Institutions of authors.

4.5. Thematic Analysis of Research

The fourth research objective was to elicit the prevailing research themes using the 802 articles gathered. First, an analysis of keyword frequency was performed to identify the main research interests. High frequency keywords reflect the research ‘hotspots’ in the field. Using CiteSpace’s keyword visualization analysis function, the keyword co-occurrence knowledge map of medical-health-wellness tourism research was drawn to grasp the research ‘hotspots’ ( Figure 5 ).

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Frequencies of research keywords.

Then, content analysis performed on the articles gathered for this study identified three main themes, namely: markets (tourist demand and behavior), destinations (development and promotion), and development environments (policies and impacts). An uneven distribution of research themes is highlighted in Figure 6 and Figure 7 .

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Timeline of research keyword appearance.

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Themes of research articles.

4.6. Markets: Demand and Behavior

Previous studies have shown that the growth of medical-health-wellness tourism in developing countries is largely linked to lower costs, shorter patient waiting lists, and better quality of care [ 40 ]. Similarly, it is suggested that the inequalities and failures in domestic health care systems often lead to people seeking treatment to travel abroad to obtain it [ 41 ]. In general terms, higher costs, long patient waiting lists, the relative affordability of international air travel, favorable exchange rates, and the availability of well-qualified doctors and medical staff in developing countries, all contribute to this situation [ 42 ].

As the demand for these forms of tourism has risen over time, processes and factors influencing decision-making have attracted growing levels of scholarly enquiry. For example, a political responsibility model was used to develop a decision-making process for individual medical tourists [ 43 ]. A sequential decision-making process has been proposed, including considerations of the required treatments, location of treatment, and quality and safety issues attendant to seeking care [ 44 ]. Accordingly, it has been found that health information and the current regulatory environment tend to affect the availability of medical care.

Multiple factors may simultaneously influence decisions related to the destination for care, including culture [ 45 ], social norms [ 46 ], religious factors [ 47 ], and the institutional environment [ 48 ]. It is suggested that socioeconomic conditions shape medical travelers’ decision-making and spending behavior relative to treatment, accommodation, and transport choices as well as the length of stay [ 49 ]. Perceived value is a key predictor of tourist intentions. More specifically, perceived medical quality, service quality, and enjoyment significantly influence the intention to travel abroad for medical-health-wellness purposes [ 50 ]. Further, perceived quality, satisfaction, and trust in the staff and clinics have significant associations affecting intentions to revisit clinics and the destination country [ 51 ]. An empirical study was conducted and found that physical convenience in willingness to stay and time and effort savings in perceived price were key factors affecting the decision-making related to medical hotels [ 52 ]. In addition, the level of perceived advantages, price perceptions, and willingness to stay were found to differ significantly between first-time patients and those with two or more previous visits. In addition, it was found that community communication was a major factor influencing decision-making. For instance, it is argued that virtual community membership has a strong influence on tourist behaviors and the way information is transmitted [ 53 ].

Compared to other tourists, the mental activity and behavior of medical-health-wellness travelers are quite different. Medical tourists are less likely to question their need for surgery and tend to be much readier to accept it [ 54 ]. The emotion and anxiety conditions of medical tourists differ from others’ experiences of travel and tourism, as well as their giving and receiving of transnational health care [ 55 ]. It has been found that language barriers and parenting responsibilities can be significant challenges, while hospital staff and their own families are often major sources of support for medical tourists [ 56 ]. Furthermore, there are significant differences among visitors from different countries in terms of choices, discomfort, preferred product items, and attitudes towards medical tourism [ 57 , 58 ].

4.7. Destinations: Development and Promotion

In response to the demands of medical-health-wellness tourism, destination development and promotion are attracting growing levels of scholarly interest. Scholars from different countries have discussed the market status of Turkey [ 12 , 59 ], the Caribbean [ 60 ] and Barbados [ 61 ], India [ 62 , 63 ], Canada [ 64 ], and Albania [ 65 ]. Table 3 outlines the most frequently researched country destinations in this respect.

Medical-health-wellness destination frequency in keywords.

The advantages and disadvantages of Turkey were examined and indicated needs for improvements [ 59 ]. In another research study, three years (2005, 2007, and 2011) of actual and projected operational cost data were evaluated for three countries: USA, India, and Thailand [ 66 ]. This study discussed some of the inefficiencies in the U.S. healthcare system, drew attention to informing uninsured or underinsured medical tourists of the benefits and risks, and determined the managerial and cost implications of various surgical procedures in the global healthcare system.

As regards medical-health-wellness tourism destination development, scholars have explored research from various perspectives. Conceptual frameworks have been developed to include tourism destinations and services in the context of medical and health tourism [ 59 , 67 ]. Advice has been provided from the perspective of public and private hospital doctors [ 68 ]. The principles of designing hospital hotels have been proposed, including proper planning, low prices of tourism services, medical education, creating websites on medical tourism, and health tourism policy councils [ 69 ]. Above all, scholars have posited that meeting or exceeding tourist expectations and requirements should remain the top priorities as regards the effective development of medical tourism destinations [ 69 , 70 ].

Once a medical-health-wellness tourism destination is developed successfully, marketing and promotion are essential to attract tourists. As part of this process, informing potential patients about procedural options, treatment facilities, tourism opportunities, and travel arrangements are the keys to success [ 71 ]. Most tourists rely on the Internet to gather information about destinations, often using mobile devices or personal computers [ 72 ], with websites and social media playing a key role in this respect, and specifically with regards to information about destinations’ medical facilities, staff expertise, services, treatments, equipment, and successful cases [ 73 ]. For example, apps for medical travel are available to attract tourists and promote medical tourism in Taiwan [ 74 ].

Numerous businesses promote medical-health-wellness travel, including medical travel companies, health insurance companies, travel agencies, medical clinics, and hospitals [ 75 ]. Among them, medical travel facilitators play a significant role as engagement moderators between prospective patients in one country and medical facilities elsewhere around the world [ 76 ]. The services offered on medical tourism facilitator websites vary considerably from one country to another [ 77 ]. Although medical travel facilitators operate on a variety of different scales and market their services differently, they all emphasize the consumer experience through advertising quality assurance and logistical support [ 78 ].

Scholarly research has also considered the factors that need to be taken into consideration in medical-health-wellness tourism promotion. This research has suggested that destinations should identify the specifics in their health tourism resources, attractions, and products, seek collaboration with others, and build a common regional brand [ 79 ]. Regional differences should be considered in the process of marketing as medical-health-wellness tourism is a global industry [ 77 ]. International advertisers need to understand the important, contemporary, and cultural characteristics of target customers before promotion [ 80 ]. Similarly, destinations need to portray safe and advanced treatment facilities to dispel potential patient worries and suspicions. Messages related solely to low cost may detract from and even undermine messages about quality [ 71 ]. However, while benefits are highly emphasized online, websites may fail to report any procedural, postoperative, or legal concerns and risks associated with medical tourism [ 81 ].

4.8. Development Environments: Policies and Impacts

The rise of medical-health-wellness tourism emphasizes the privatization of healthcare, an increasing dependence on technology, and the accelerating globalization of healthcare and tourism [ 82 ]. There are challenges and opportunities in the development of these tourism forms. For instance, it has been suggested that medical tourism distorts national health care systems, and raises critical national economic, ethical, and social questions [ 83 ]. Along with the development of medical-health-wellness tourism, social-cultural contradictions [ 84 ] and economic inequities are widening in terms of access, cost, and quality of healthcare [ 85 ]. It is argued that this tourism leads destinations to emphasize tertiary care for foreigners at the expense of basic healthcare for their citizens [ 86 ]. Moreover, in some instances, this phenomenon can exacerbate the medical brain drain from the public sector to the private sector [ 43 , 87 , 88 ], leading to rising private health care and health insurance costs [ 88 ].

While medical-health-wellness tourism is a potential source of revenue, it also brings a certain level of risk to destinations and tourists [ 89 ]. The spread of this type of tourism has been posited as a contributing factor to the spread of infectious diseases and public health crises [ 90 , 91 ]. Medical tourists are at risk of hospital-associated and procedure-related infections as well as diseases endemic to the countries where the service is provided [ 92 ]. Similarly, the safety of some treatments offered has also been the subject of growing levels of scrutiny. Contemporary scholarship examining clinical outcomes in medical travel for cosmetic surgery has identified cases in which patients traveled abroad for medical procedures and subsequently returned home with infections and other surgical complications [ 93 ]. Stem cell tourism has been criticized on the grounds of consumer fraud, blatant lack of scientific justification, and patient safety [ 94 , 95 ]. During the process of medical tourism, inadequate communication, and information asymmetry in cross-cultural communication may bring medical risks [ 96 ].

Medical-health-wellness tourism has emerged as a global healthcare phenomenon. Policy guidance is vital for the development of this sector in the future [ 97 ]. There are policy implications for the planning and development of medical-health-wellness tourism destinations [ 98 ]. Generally, it has been found that the medical-health-wellness tourism sector tends to perform better in countries with a clear policy framework for this activity [ 99 ]. Similarly, scholars have argued the need for a clearer policy framework regulating tourism agencies and the information and services they provide [ 100 ]. The upsurge of these tourism forms presents new opportunities and challenges for policy makers in the health sector. It has been argued that existing policy processes are mainly based on entrenched ideological positions and more attention should be paid to robust evidence of impact [ 101 ]. The UK developed policies focused on ’patient choice’ that allow people who are able and willing to choose to travel further for healthcare [ 102 ]. However, more robust policy making is still required to strengthen national health services and facilitate medical-health-wellness tourism sector development in destinations [ 103 , 104 ].

5. Discussion and Conclusions

5.1. generation discussion.

This study is based on a literature review of 802 articles on medical-health-wellness tourism from 1970 to 2020. Jeremy Snyder was found to be the most prolific author in this field with 45 articles. It has been found that the literature on this topic can be summarized into three themes: markets (tourist demand and behavior), destinations (development and promotion), and development environments (policies and impacts). The scholarly research in this growing field has undergone a shift in emphasis from tourist demand and behavior to the promotion and development of destinations, and, more recently, to policies and impacts.

To attract more tourists, destinations should explore their potential for medical-health-wellness tourism. Accessibility, procedural options, treatment facilities, travel arrangements, safety guarantees, and government policies remain influential factors. In the development and promotion of this form of tourism, childhood vaccinations, oral health, legal frameworks, evaluation systems, entrance systems, and macro-policy continue to be areas of concern and where further research is required. Above all, meeting or exceeding tourist expectations and requirements is the most important consideration to promote medical-health-wellness tourism. Similarly, appropriate policy guidelines and frameworks are necessary to support this form of tourism. Importantly, medical-health-wellness tourism may result in negative impacts on the healthcare service provision for local residents in poorer countries, with tourists from richer countries benefiting to the detriment of local communities. However, if managed successfully, this form of tourism can also be a force for good in terms of fostering the economic development of countries delivering these services.

The results indicated that the research literature is spread across a range of different disciplines and there is not one single venue for publishing in this field. A better integration of the research and improved understanding of the overlaps among medical, health, and wellness tourism is required.

5.2. Future Research Trends

5.2.1. industrial perspective.

Medical-health-wellness tourism will, over time, integrate fully with other healthcare and wellness services. Similarly, medical challenges such as disease prevention and traditional medicine remain essential directions for the future of health tourism. This form of tourism will also integrate further with industries such as wellness culinary tourism, mindfulness tourism, active tourism (including adventure tourism), and even cosmetic surgery tourism, leading to a vast array of potential research avenues linked to health tourism destinations. These futures will greatly promote the physical and mental health of wellness tourists. This is another emerging direction for future medical-health-wellness tourism research.

5.2.2. Destination Development Perspectives

Medical-health-wellness tourism will become more significant forms of tourism and impact the development of different nations and areas. For example, this tourism will integrate with Chinese traditional culture. Traditional treatments and remedies will become more of an advantage and should be a topic for future medical-health-wellness tourism research, as well as in other countries with unique health cultures, treatments, and procedures.

Thailand, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian countries are favored by tourists from developed countries due to lower costs. In the future, these areas need to focus more on tourism product design, health tourism marketing, community participation, and cross-cultural communication. Developed countries such as the USA, Japan, and South Korea, will use advanced technology and medical equipment to take the path to high-end, high value-added tourism development. This will lead to some new research opportunities.

5.2.3. Tourist Perspectives

Compared with other types of tourists, the needs of medical-health-wellness tourists will receive more attention. Based on previous research, the psychology and perceived value of these tourists are the focus of considerable research. In the future, more emphasis will be paid to people and especially to their psychological and physiological needs. Research on demand will become a more popular topic of this tourism research. Second, the current research on medical-health-wellness tourists is concentrated on the study of tourists in the USA and Canada. Future research should be more dispersed and diversified. Tourists from emerging countries such as Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa will receive more attention.

5.3. Limitations

This study, inevitably, has a number of limitations, including the relatively modest amount of articles collected. Only articles written in English were considered. The sample number is rather small to represent the general research trends in medical-health-wellness tourism from 1970 to 2020. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the number of publications and expand the time and language coverage of the research articles to gain more insights.

Although the research scope of medical-health-wellness tourism is vast, it lacks in-depth exploration. Current research is fragmented, lacks continuity and comprehensiveness, and therefore cannot be considered systematic. Also, the legal aspects of the development of this tourism, environmental capacity of medical-health tourism, wellness tourism management, and mechanisms of profit distribution for medical-health-wellness tourism are less frequently mentioned in research articles. Innovation in this field and international cooperation, and talent cultivation are also not sufficiently addressed. The methods used in medical-health-wellness tourism research are often simple. Scholars still use traditional descriptive statistics and related analysis methods. The theoretical foundation of medical-health-wellness tourism is still relatively weak. We are in the primary stage of this tourism research and in the development of related tourism products. People all over the world are eager for healthy lives. Medical-health-wellness tourism is likely to play a more important future role in travel medicine and tourism research. Beyond what has been done already, follow-up research should be focused on interdisciplinarity and based on the integration of industries. More theoretical research is necessary to support the future growth of medical-health-wellness tourism.

Author Contributions

Formal analysis, L.Z.; Funding acquisition, L.Z.; Investigation, L.Z.; Supervision, B.D.; Data collection and analysis, B.D.; Writing-original draft, A.M.M. and J.A.C.-S.; Writing—original draft, A.M.M.; Writing—review & editing, A.M.M., J.A.C.-S. and L.Y.; Data collection and analysis. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant no: 71673015); Ethnic research project of the National Committee of the people’s Republic of China. NO: 2020-GMD-089; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Beijing Foreign Studies University, 2021JS001.

Institutional Review Board Statement

No human subjects were involved in this research and no institutional review was required.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable as there were no human subjects.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Frequently asked questions.

Medical tourism is a term that refers to traveling to another country to get a medical or dental procedure. In some instances, medical tourists travel abroad seeking alternative treatments that are not approved in the United States.

Medical tourism is successful for millions of people each year, and it is on the rise for a variety of reasons, including increasing healthcare costs in the United States, lack of health insurance, specialist-driven procedures, high-quality facilities, and the opportunity to travel before or after a medical procedure.

According to a New York Times article from January 2021, pent-up demand for nonessential surgeries, as well as the fact that many Americans lost their health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic led to a surge in medical tourism once other countries re-opened.

However, there are specific risks that come with traveling overseas for surgery. If you're thinking of pursuing a medical procedure in another country, here's what to know about the benefits and the risks.

Medical Tourism Benefits

The most common procedures Americans go abroad for include dental care, cosmetic procedures , fertility treatments, organ transplants , and cancer treatment.

This is not to be confused with having an unplanned procedure in a foreign country due to an unexpected illness or injury.

Among the reasons a person might choose to go abroad for a medical procedure are:

Lower Costs

Medical tourists can save anywhere from 25% to 90% in medical bills, depending on the procedure they get and the country they travel to. There are several factors that play into this:

The cost of diagnostic testing and medications is particularly expensive in the United States.
The cost of pre- and post-procedure labor is often dramatically lower overseas. This includes labor costs for nurses , aides, surgeons , pharmacists, physical therapists , and more.
High cost of malpractice insurance—the insurance that protects medical professionals against lawsuits—in the United States.
Hospital stays cost far less in many overseas countries compared to the United States. In other words, quality care, hospital meals, and rehabilitation are far more affordable abroad for many people.

For someone who doesn't have insurance , or someone having a procedure that is not covered by insurance , the difference can be enormous.

Popular Countries for Medical Tourism

Dominican Republic

South Korea

Culture and Language

Many immigrants prefer to have treatments and procedures done in their country of origin—a sensible decision, considering just how much language barriers alone can affect the quality of their care.

Furthermore, at least 25% of immigrants and noncitizen residents in the United States are uninsured, compared to 9% of American citizens. Children with at least one noncitizen parent are also more likely to be uninsured.

Practicalities aside, many people choose to have their procedure done in their country of origin simply because it allows them to be close to family, friends, and caretakers who can assist them through their recovery .

Insurance Incentives

Some insurance companies have started promoting medical tourism. The reason behind this is simple: savings for the insured means savings for the insurance provider and vice versa.

Several insurance providers, including Aetna have programs specifically geared at promoting safe medical tourism. Some insurance providers even offer financial incentives for medical tourism, like discounts on medical bills .

That said, many insurance companies will not pay for surgery performed outside of the country unless it is an emergency.

Luxury and Privacy

Medical tourism is a lucrative business for many countries, and much of the money brought in by medical tourists is reinvested into the local economy and health infrastructure.

The effect of this is apparent in the spa-like luxury that some foreign hospitals offer, providing medical tourists the opportunity to be pampered during their stay for a fraction of the cost they would pay at home.

Some facilities offer hospital rooms that are more like a hotel suite than a traditional hospital room. Other hospitals offer one-on-one private nursing care, which is far more generous and attentive than the staffing ratios that most hospitals allow.

Medical tourists who seek that added layer of privacy can find it abroad. Many can return home from their "vacation" without anyone knowing they had a procedure at all.

Vacation in a Foreign Country

Medical tourists often take advantage of their stay in a foreign country to travel for pleasure by scheduling a vacation before or after their procedure.

This is an especially inexpensive way to travel to a foreign country, especially if their insurance provider is paying for the flight and the cost of staying is low.

While it seems logical to recover on a beach or in a chalet by the mountains, keep in mind that it's important not to jeopardize your recovery.

Swimming isn't recommended until your incisions are completely closed. You may not feel up to doing much more than napping in the days following your procedure, either.

Don't let your vacation disrupt your recovery. Any time you have a procedure done, especially a surgery, it's important to listen to your body, take your medications as directed, and follow your doctor's recommendations closely.

Bypassing Rules and Regulations

Some travelers seek surgery abroad to bypass rules that are set in place by their own government, insurance company , or hospital. These rules are typically in place to protect the patient from harm, so getting around them isn't always the best idea.

For example, a patient may be told that their weight is too low to qualify for weight loss surgery . A surgeon in a foreign country may have a different standard for who qualifies for weight loss surgery, so the patient may qualify overseas for the procedure they want.

Talented Surgeons

Surgeons in certain countries are known for their talent in a specific area of surgery. For example, Brazilian surgeons are often touted for their strong plastic surgery skills .

Whereas in the United States, insurance companies might only cover cosmetic procedures if it is medically necessary, cosmetic surgery is often free or low-cost in Brazil's public hospitals—giving cosmetic surgeons there ample practice.

Thailand is reported to be the primary medical tourism destination for individuals seeking gender reassignment . It is often easier to qualify for surgery and the cost is significantly reduced. Surgeons are performing the procedures frequently, and as a result, many have become quite specialized in them.

It is often surprising to many medical tourists that their physician was trained in the United States. Not all physicians are, of course, but a surprisingly high percentage of them working in surgery abroad are trained in English-speaking medical schools and residency programs and then return to their home country. These physicians often speak multiple languages and may be board certified in their home country and a foreign country, such as the United States.

Medical tourism isn’t limited to countries outside of the United States, either. Many people travel to the United States for medical care due to the country's cutting-edge technology, prescription medication supply, and the general safety of healthcare.

Medical Tourism Risks

The financial and practical benefits of medical tourism are well known, and you may even know someone who had a great experience. Nonetheless, the downsides of medical tourism can be just as great if not greater. Sometimes, they can even be deadly.

If you are considering a trip abroad for your procedure, you should know that medical tourism isn't entirely without obstacle and risks. These include:

Poorly Trained Surgeons

In any country—the United States included—there will be good surgeons and bad. And just as there are great surgeons abroad, there are also some surgeons who are less talented, less trained, and less experienced.

Regardless of what procedure you are getting or where, you should always do some preliminary research into the surgeon or physician who will be treating you as well as the hospital you will be treated at.

In the United States, it is fairly easy to obtain information about malpractice lawsuits , sanctions by medical boards, and other disciplinary actions against a physician.

Performing this research from afar can be challenging, especially if you don't speak the local language. Yet countless people take the risk anyway, without knowing whether the physicians who will treat them are reputable.

A physician should be trained in the specific area of medicine that is appropriate for your procedure. For example, you should not be having plastic surgery from a surgeon who was trained to be a heart doctor. It isn’t good enough to be a physician, the physician must be trained in the specialty .

Prior to agreeing to surgery, you should also know your surgeon’s credentials : where they studied, where they trained, and in what specialty(s) they are board-certified. Do not rely on testimonials from previous patients; these are easily made up for a website and even if they are correct, one good surgery doesn’t mean they will all be successful.

Quality of Staff

Nurses are a very important part of healthcare, and the care they provide can mean the difference between a great outcome and a terrible one.

A well-trained nurse can identify a potential problem and fix it before it truly becomes an issue. A poorly trained nurse may not identify a problem until it is too late. The quality of the nursing staff will have a direct impact on your care.

Once again, it's important to research the hospital staff where you will be having your procedure done. Read the reviews but don't trust them blindly. If you can, seek out a recommendation from someone who can vouch for the medical staff where you will be going.

Quality of the Facility

While researching healthcare facilities for your procedure, you want to learn not just about the quality of the facilities themselves, but about the country's healthcare system as a whole.

In some countries, there is a marked distinction between public hospitals and private hospitals. In Turkey, for example, private hospitals are considered on-par with hospitals in the states, while many locals will advise you to steer clear of public hospitals if you can.

You will also want to seek out facilities that are internationally accredited. In the United States, the Joint Commission evaluates hospitals and certifies those that provide safe, quality care. The international division does the same for hospitals outside the United States.

Once you have a few options for potential facilities, you can start to investigate specifics. For one, you should find as many pictures and reviews of the facility as you can. Ask yourself whether the facility is state of the art or whether it seems dirty and outdated.

You will also need to find out if the facility has ICU level care available, in case something goes wrong. If not, there should be a major hospital nearby so that you can be transferred quickly.

To learn more about a healthcare facility, consider joining expat groups on social media for the city or country you will be traveling to. Ask the group for recommendations, or inquire about any positive or negative experiences they may have had at a particular facility.

Flying Home After Surgery

Any surgery comes with risks, including infection and blood clots . Flying home increases the risk of blood clots, especially on long-haul flights that are longer than four hours.

Try to avoid flying home in the days immediately after surgery; waiting a week will decrease the chances of developing a blood clot or another serious complication during the flight.

For longer flights, plan on getting up and walking up and down the aisles each hour to improve blood flow in your legs. You might also benefit from wearing compression socks with your doctor's approval.

If you are taking blood thinners or are at-risk of blood clots , be sure to talk to your doctor about how you can reduce your risk of blood clots after your procedure and while traveling.

Furthermore, you should know the symptoms of blood clots and stay alert.

Unplanned Illness

Any time you travel abroad, you run the risk of catching an illness that you have never been exposed to or that your body is not prepared to fight off. This is especially a concern when spending time in a foreign hospital.

If you have a sensitive stomach, you may also want to think long and hard about having surgery abroad. The food is often very different in foreign hospitals, and in some areas, there is a risk that even the water will be upsetting to your body.

Having diarrhea or postoperative nausea and vomiting makes for a miserable recovery experience, especially if you do not have a friend or family member nearby who can help you through it.

Before you travel abroad, check with your doctor to see if you need any vaccines to travel to your destination or if there are any foreign illnesses you should be aware of. Picking up an illness abroad, particularly after your surgery, can potentially be life-threatening.

Language Barriers

If you are having surgery in a country where English is not the primary language, you will need to make preparations in order to be able to communicate with the staff.

You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the staff speaks your primary language well. If not, then you will need to consider how you will make your wishes and needs known to the surgeon, the staff, and others you will meet.

Whether you are at home or abroad, remember to speak up and advocate for yourself to make sure your needs are met. If you don't speak the local language, download a language translation app on your smartphone and don't hesitate to use it to communicate your needs. Hiring a translator is another option.

A Word About Transplant Tourism

Transplant tourism is one area of medical tourism that is strongly discouraged by organ and tissue transplant professionals in multiple countries. Most international transplants are considered “black market” surgeries that are not only poor in quality, but ethically and morally wrong.

China, for example, the country that is believed to perform more international kidney transplants than any other country, is widely believed to take organs from political prisoners after their execution.

In India, living donors are often promised large sums of money for their kidney donation, only to find out they have been scammed and never receive payment. Selling an organ in India is illegal, as it is in most areas of the world, so there is little recourse for the donor.

Then there is the final outcome: how well the organ works after the surgery is complete. With black market transplants, less care is often taken with matching the donor and recipient, which leads to high levels of rejection and a greater risk of death. Furthermore, the new organ may not have been screened for diseases such as cytomegalovirus , tuberculosis , hepatitis B , and hepatitis C . It is often the new disease that leads to death, rather than the organ rejection itself.

Finally, transplant surgeons are often reluctant to care for a patient who intentionally circumvented the donor process in the United States and received their transplant from an unknown physician.

It is important to arrange your follow-up care prior to leaving your home country.

Many physicians and surgeons are hesitant to take care of a patient who received care outside the country, as they are often unfamiliar with medical tourism and have concerns about the quality of care overseas.

Arranging for follow-up care before you leave will make it easier to transition to care at home without the stress of trying to find a physician after surgery .

Just be sure to inform your follow-up care physician where you are having your procedure done. After you return, they will also want to know what prescription medications you were given, if any.

What are popular countries for medical tourism?

Mexico, India, Costa Rica, Turkey, Singapore, Canada, and Thailand are among the many countries that are popular for medical tourism.

How safe is medical tourism?

Medical tourism is generally considered safe, but it's critical to research the quality of care, physician training, and surgical specialties of each country. There are several medical tourism organizations that specialize in evaluating popular destinations for this purpose.

What countries have free healthcare?

Countries with free healthcare include England, Canada, Thailand, Mexico, India, Sweden, South Korea, Israel, and many others.

A Word From Verywell

If you are considering medical tourism, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor, and consider working with your insurance provider to arrange a trip that balances financial savings with safety. (Also, before you embark on a trip overseas for your procedure, make sure you are financially prepared for unexpected events and emergencies. Don't go abroad if you don't have enough money to get yourself home in a crisis.)

A medical tourism organization such as Patients Without Borders can help you evaluate the quality and trustworthiness of healthcare in various countries. Making sure a high level of care is readily available will lead to a safer, more relaxing experience.

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By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine.

Aesthetic Surgery Tourism: An Opportunity or a Danger?

Original Articles
Body Contouring
Open access
Published: 24 June 2024

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Valentina Budini ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0726-926X 1 , 2 ,
Chiara Zanettin 1 , 2 ,
Tito Brambullo 1 , 2 ,
Franco Bassetto 1 , 2 &
Vincenzo Vindigni 1 , 2

Medical and surgical tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon in post-pandemic Europe. The exodus of patients abroad to perform surgery, especially cosmetic treatments, is spreading recently in industrialized countries. In the social media era, the ease of access to advertising about surgical procedures and their costs favors traveling. However, the information given is not always punctual, and there is often a lack of patient awareness about the risks related to the procedures.

The objective of the manuscript is to investigate, through clinical examples, the path that a patient operated on in a non-European country must face once he returns home. From the availability and translation of clinical documentation to the problems encountered in revision surgeries.

Thirteen cases of surgical tourism, patients who presented to our department with surgical complications, are investigated. Adverse events occurring during medical treatment abroad raised medico-legal and appropriateness issues, as well as concerns regarding the follow-up of patients.

Conclusions

The current literature confirmed the high complication rate: It affects individual patients and the native country's healthcare systems. Therefore, patients must learn more about the dangers of traveling abroad for surgery. Education initiatives in the patient's home country might help achieve this.

Level of Evidence IV

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Introduction

Since the turn of the century, "surgical tourism" has gained popularity in wealthier countries, especially the USA [ 1 ]. It lies in the exodus of patients to foreign countries to perform surgical, cosmetic, or dental treatments. Among the various branches of medicine involved, aesthetic plastic surgery interventions stand out in terms of the number and importance of cases [ 2 ].

The appeal of less expensive procedures and reasonably priced travel and lodging are the principal causes that incentivize international cosmetic surgery tourism [ 3 ].

Aesthetic surgical tourism is, however, a practice that can lead to a disastrous outcome. The initial price reduction frequently outweighs any potential longer-term risks for the patient and invalidates the careful selection of a capable surgeon and facility [ 4 ]. The sterility of the surgical facilities is uncertain or under-regulated, and infection is usually the most frequent complication [ 5 ].

The significance of the phenomena arises from:

Ever-increasing cases also in Europe [ 6 ].

Social media resonance, with advertising that reaches a large potential audience [ 7 ].

Inadequate preoperative counseling. It is typically nonexistent or provided by an office secretary via video chat, with insufficient discussion of potential issues [ 8 ].

Costs resulting from the absence of surgical follow-up fall on the healthcare system of the home nation. Neglectful post-operative care frequently results in patients having to manage wounds on their own, which frequently results in needless hospital visits and raises the complications rate [ 9 ].

The following discussion aims to delve deeper into the dynamics, clinical and healthcare aspects, and costs of patients operated on abroad who have been treated at home for related complications, using our institution's experience. The most common problems and the controversial aspects of this phenomenon emerged through a comparison with the available literature. Finally, some strategies to reduce and resolve issues related to surgical tourism are considered.

Material and Methods

Between January 2020 and January 2024, a single-center retrospective investigation of cosmetic tourism complications was conducted at the Plastic Surgery Department of a Public Hospital.

All consecutive patients treated at our institution with complications of cosmetic surgery performed abroad have been included. There were no exclusion criteria.

Each patient provided a written agreement to process their personal information for clinical and research purposes. The primary data source for the research was our clinic's database, which updates all patient data. Patients were interviewed afterward on the telephone for additional information. Data collected include patient demographic information, country of original cosmetic tourist operation, the operation performed and complications; blood tests, diagnostic investigations, and surgical interventions necessary for those patients who sustained major complications.

A specific anonymous questionnaire was also developed by our center and administered to each patient. Below are the eight questions the patients answered (Fig. 1 ):

An anonymous questionnaire administered to the patients regarding their experience; each response is graphed as percentages

Why did you go abroad for the surgery?

Did you have a preoperative visit?

Have you had an interview with the surgeon and signed an informed consent that you understand

How did you find the clinic and the surgeon?

Did they explain to you how to manage the medications after the operation?

Did they issue you documentation of the operation performed?

Do you know whom to contact in case of complications once you return to your home country?

Did they offer you post-operative care at the center/surgeon who operated?

Thirteen patients were treated for complications following cosmetic tourism. All patients were females. Ages ranged from 18 to 40 years (mean 28.8 years).

Three of the 13 patients were an everyday cigarette smoker, and 4 were an occasional cigarette smoker.

The mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.9 kg/m 2 (range: 20-33 kg/m 2 ). One of the patients had hypertension, and one of them had diabetes mellitus type II (under pharmacological control). No patient had a history of bleeding disorder, clotting disorder, or previous deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. One patient had already undergone breast augmentation surgery in her home country ten years earlier and was seeking revision surgery.

The most common operation performed was liposuction ( n = 6), followed by abdominoplasty, breast augmentation (three each), and one case of thigh lift.

The most common operative country was Turkey ( n = 7), followed by Albania ( n = 5), and one patient underwent the procedure in Ghana.

Ten of the 13 patients initially presented to the Emergency Department ( n = 77%). The most common complication was infection ( n = 46%), followed by non-healing of the wound ( n = 23%), discomfort in the management of dressings ( n = 23%), and bleeding ( n = 8%). Five of the 13 patients required surgery ( n = 39%), and one required multiple surgeries to achieve complete healing.

Most cases of infection were following breast implant surgery ( n = 66%). The bacteria found during the microbiological examination belonged to the species of normal skin colonizers or fecal bacteria. ( S. Aureus, Epidermidis; E. cloacae, E. Coli ) No atypical or multi-resistant bacteria were found, but intravenous antibiotics were administered in most of the cases of infection ( n = 83%). With liposuction treatments, the most common consequence was discomfort with dressing and drainage management.

The mean outpatient follow-up was 16 weeks, ranging from 2 to 44 Weeks.

Nine of the 13 patients dropped out of the follow-up after being treated.

Figure 1 displays the responses to the survey that we conducted.

Case Series

A 32-year-old healthy woman who travels to Albania to get liposuction on her tummy, hips, gluteal area, breasts region, and arms.

On the third day following the procedure, the patient went to the ER after seeing a dip in one of the abdomen drainages. She underwent specialist consultation with patient education. The total cost of treatment, paid by public health, is 344 € (source: hospital discharge form).

A 29-year-old healthy patient was scheduled to have bilateral breast augmentation surgery performed in Turkey. On the second post-operative day, she went to the emergency room due to bleeding from the surgical site in her right breast. She removed the bandage by herself (Fig. 2 ). Test results for blood revealed slight anemia and regular inflammatory indices. Bilateral hematoma was the ultrasound diagnosis.

Bilateral hematoma complicating a breast augmentation surgery performed in Turkey

Treatment was initially conservative, with broad-spectrum IV antibiotics. After further worsening, it was decided to hospitalize and drain the hematoma without the removal of prostheses and accurate hemostasis. The patient drops out her follow-up at our facility two weeks after discharge. The total cost of treatment, paid by public health, is 6415 € (source: hospital discharge form).

A 37-year-old female patient affected by DM type II went to Turkey to perform abdominal liposuction surgery. Lipo-abdominoplasty was the final procedure, which the surgeon justified (without written consent) based on an unidentified abdominal hernia. We received the information about the surgery via audio in English, recorded and sent by the surgeon operator on the patient's phone. On the eighth day following the procedure, the patient went to the emergency room, claiming intense discomfort in the abdomen, erythema, tension in the region, and a fever that peaked at 39.7 °C (Fig. 3 ). Tests for blood chemistry revealed: WBC 17 × 10^9/L; Hb 11.2 PRC: 187 mg/L. The results of a CT scan found: "edematous imbibition surrounding tissues extending to the muscle fascia with the presence of gas bubbles, corpuscular material, and foreign body (suspected prosthesis mesh)." After being admitted to the hospital, the patient received intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy in addition to emergent surgical debridement. Following a microbiological analysis and cultivation of the collected material, the test result was positive for Enterococcus faecium. Two more reconstructive surgeries follow to obtain a complete healing (Figs. 4 , 5 , 6 ) The total cost of treatment, paid by public health, is 39991 € (source: hospital discharge form).

Necrotizing fasciitis after lipo-abdominoplasty performed in Turkey (8 day after surgery)

Same patient shown in Fig. 3 , 9 months after resolution of the acute illness. Front view

Same patient shown in Fig. 3 , 9 months after resolution of the acute illness. Lateral view

Same case shown in Figs. 3 , 4 , 5 ; during reconstructive surgery to reposition the navel and reduce epigastric bulging

Extrusion of the right breast implant due to an infectious episode. Surgery performed in Turkey (Figs. 7 , 8 ). The total cost of treatment, paid by public health, is 4827 € (source: hospital discharge form).

Extrusion of the right breast implant due to an infectious episode, after a surgery performed in Turkey. Fontal view

Extrusion of the right breast implant due to an infectious episode, after a surgery performed in Turkey. Lateral view

Wound dehiscence following thigh lift surgery performed in Albania (Fig. 9 ). The total cost of treatment, paid by public health, is 9840 € (source: hospital discharge form).

Wound dehiscence following thigh lift surgery performed in Albania

The number of plastic surgeon units managing complications from cosmetic surgery tourists has increased due to a rise in aesthetic surgery tourism.

In research assessing the public's perception of cosmetic surgery tourism among the UK-based general population, Nassab et al. discovered that 97% of respondents who had thought about undergoing cosmetic surgery would consider doing so abroad [ 10 ].

There is a lack of research regarding personal experiences dealing with complications resulting from cosmetic surgery tourism in Europe. In particular, there is a paucity of details regarding the cost, in terms of public health spending, of emergency room visits, follow-up visits, medical treatments, and revision surgeries that these patients undergo. Most examples in the literature come from overseas or from the United Kingdom [ 1 ].

Some current ASPS members were interviewed in the US in 2011 by Melendez and Alizedah on their experiences treating patients who traveled for cosmetic surgery. They claimed to have detected a rise in the patients' number bringing up issues related to cosmetic journeys. Most of the patients they treated experienced complications after breast augmentation or body contouring surgeries. Infection and dehiscence were the most frequent complications, followed by hematoma and irregular contours [ 11 ].

Miyagi et al. examined 19 cosmetic tourists with issues from 2007 to 2009 treated by a single plastic surgery practice in their observational study conducted outside of the UK. Among these, problems from breast surgery affected almost 75% of the patients; abdominoplasty followed. The two main complaints were dehiscence and wound infection. A facelift resulted in a marginal mandibular nerve injury for one patient, and an abdominoplasty caused a bowel perforation for another [ 12 ].

Klein et al. (Zurich, Switzerland) conducted a retrospective evaluation of their experience treating 109 patients who presented to their emergency department with complications resulting from cosmetic surgery tourism abroad in a 2017 study [ 4 ].

Patients who return from foreign countries after having performed aesthetic plastic surgery and present complications are a real economic and legal dilemma for the public health of the country of origin. It is made evident by cost-analysis research on cosmetic tourism issues published by Livingston et al. [ 13 ].

Often, the operative surgeon cannot be found or does not have an international broad certificate. The same happens with the clinic, which does not have a certification comparable to that of the European Community [ 14 ].

The possibility of even serious complications is present in every surgery. The real problem of surgical tourism is the impossibility of performing appropriate post-operative checks and a fair surgical follow-up. The caring relationship is usually lost as soon as patients are dismissed from the clinic, and there is frequently no further communication between the surgeon and the patient. As a result, the abandoned patient must handle any issues or complications on their own once they return home.

Our research displays that written documentation describing the operation is also incomplete, incomprehensible, or often absent. It poses a difficulty in understanding the cause and dynamics of the complication and in attributing legal responsibility for the complication. In the event of re-operation, there is also a risk that the entire responsibility for the outcome falls on the last surgeon and certified facility that operates on the patient.

Furthermore, for countries with public healthcare, there is no defined limit on the services or expenditures available in the event of serious complications. Deontologically, however, it is inconceivable to spend public money on a revision procedure that improves the aesthetic outcome of a cosmetic intervention made abroad [ 15 ].

Nowadays, there are still no specific guidelines - national or European—about how to manage these complications. Therefore, every nation and each center must face this lack, trying to calibrate its intervention by balancing the need for urgent intervention and the incompatibility of receiving treatment in a public hospital.

Our study is intended as a glimmer of awareness toward the surgical tourism topic and presents several limitations. The number of cases is limited. We have no data on the incidence or prevalence of the phenomenon as there is no national register of patients operated on abroad. It was not possible to carry out a case-control study as patients without issues do not reach the public hospital.

A targeted intervention, both in macroscopic governmental terms and in microscopic surgeon's clinical practice, should consider two fundamental elements: education and prevention. They are explicated into the following points:

National or European guidelines for the management of complications

Patient information regarding risks (which are involved in carrying out an operation in clinics not accredited by the Health System) and essential pre- and post-operative visits

Regulation of medical advertising, by control of information content

Emphasis on the importance and necessity of informed consent and written documentation

From the retrospective analysis conducted in this study and among the available literature, we have found several critical issues in the constantly growing phenomenon of surgical tourism.

The low cost of the intervention, the attractive but non-instructive advertisements, the lack of punctual informed consent, and the emphasis placed on ancillary services (such as accommodation in luxury hotels included in the price) divert the patient's attention from the risks inherent in surgery and inhibit their ability to judge. Therefore, surgical tourism becomes, from a potential saving opportunity, a real risk for the patient's health and an expense for the public health system.

We hope that in the future, international and national organizations will create standards for managing the complications and will enforce regulation of medical advertising with more rigor. Improving the education of patients potentially at risk would also be desirable, emphasizing the importance of informed consent and written documentation of the surgery, in addition to the risks they run and the need for pre- and post-operative visits.

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Budini, V., Zanettin, C., Brambullo, T. et al. Aesthetic Surgery Tourism: An Opportunity or a Danger?. Aesth Plast Surg (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-024-04117-8

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When U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy pushed last week for a tobacco-style warning on social media , he called the mental health crisis in young people an emergency that demanded action without waiting for "perfect information."

Even among experts, questions remain about the exact role that social media plays in the mental health of children and teens. Authors of a sweeping new review of research into social media and mental health say there's still key information missing to know whether prevention programs and interventions will work.

Related video above: Surgeon General calls for warning labels on social media amid youth mental health concerns

In the study , published Monday in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers reviewed nearly 150 studies on the relationship between social media and the mental health of adolescents. They found an overall link between anxiety and depression in adolescents and the time spent on social media platforms, as well as a link between the types of activities and content they were interacting with. However, the level of impact varied enough to suggest that the findings shouldn't be generalized to the population as a whole.

The researchers found that very few studies assessed the relationship between social media use and adolescents who were experiencing mental health symptoms at clinical levels — where they're seeking health services or have an active diagnosis, for example — which further clouds the findings.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy testifies during the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing titled "Why Are So Many American Youth in a Mental Health Crisis? Exploring Causes and Solutions," in Dirksen Building on Thursday, June 8, 2023.

There's a "real risk that we are incorrectly generalizing results from the general population to young people with mental health conditions," wrote the study authors, from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

"In a world increasingly saturated by digital technology, we cannot afford to design prevention programs, interventions, and regulations without knowing that they work for everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable." Another analysis of existing research, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in December, also highlighted key questions that remain to be answered.

"There is not enough evidence to say that social media causes changes in adolescent health at the population level," according to a news release from the independent organization about the report. And "despite many years of research, the evidence clarifying precisely how social media influences health is limited."

Video below: Teens who spend excessive time on social media often struggle to focus on important tasks like homework and family time, a recent study suggests

While the science suggests there is a link between social media and mental health, there is often a lack of clarity on whether social media is influencing an individual's mental health or whether an individual's mental health is influencing their use of social media, said Dr. Sandro Galea, chair of an ad-hoc National Academies committee that authored the analysis of research and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health.

Future research should focus on following trends over time – tracking the mental health of the same children before and after exposure to social media to see what effects it has – and digging in on more specific measures that capture how social media is used, he said.

For Murthy, the urgency of the youth mental health crisis is dominant — and there's enough evidence to act now. In a New York Times op-ed, Murthy advocated for a warning label that would "regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe" among other interventions.

Murthy cited two key reports in support of a warning label: one study from 2019 that found that adolescents who spent more time on social media faced increased risk for anxiety and depression and one survey from 2022 in which nearly half of adolescents said that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.

"One of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don't have the luxury to wait for perfect information. You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly," Murthy wrote in his essay . "The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor."

Public health often lacks 'perfect' data

Many experts agree that the surgeon general is starting an important conversation and that the need for more information shouldn't lead to passiveness, but a social media warning label will require nuance in language and implementation. It will also require Congress to act to make it a reality.

"The Surgeon General is identifying something that he sees as a challenge to the health of the public and thinking about ways to act to mitigate the challenge. Through that lens, I think he's doing exactly what a surgeon general should do," Galea said. "Public health action, not infrequently, has to happen absent complete or perfect data."

Video below: A doctor discusses the social media label proposal and the impact of social media on young people's mental health

The National Academies committee specifically recommended against a social media ban. Despite potential harms – such as unhealthy social comparisons and distraction from other important healthy behaviors such as sleep, exercise and studying – social media can also benefit young people by helping to foster connection with friends and family, and with online support communities.

But there is an important distinction between benefits and safety, Murthy said Friday on The Daily , a podcast from the New York Times.

"It's important to look at the research question broadly. What we're trying to understand first and foremost is the answer to the question parents are asking us, which is, 'Is social media safe from my kids?' And if you ask researchers, 'What does data tell us about safety? Where is the data that tells us these platforms are safe?' That data is not there. So there's not evidence of safety. There is growing evidence of harm," he said.

"There are certain benefits, but getting some benefits does not justify forcing kids to endure significant harm."

Still, social media is not the same as cigarettes. Smoking has a much stronger and more direct link with negative health effects, and cessation is not the end goal with social media.

Instead, a social media warning label should be more like those on bicycles and motor vehicles, said Pamela Wisniewski, an associate professor in human-computer interaction at Vanderbilt University, whose research has focused on the relationship between social media, privacy, and online safety for adolescents.

"The key is to focus on solutions that empower youth and give them choices and opportunities to maximize the benefits of social media use, while minimizing risks, as opposed to taking restrictive and surveillance-based approaches that are heavily rooted in fear," she said. The goal should be to ensure proper use, not just focus on the risks and harm.

There is an expectation that products children interact with are tested for safety, and a warning label on social media could deliver a clear message that there are "a lot of safety gaps," said Dr. Jenny Radesky, co-medical director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.

"We expect that infant formula is tested for bacteria, toys are tested for lead paint, and that there are rules about safety for everything from cribs to cars. These safety guardrails that prioritize children's well-being in digital products do not exist in the U.S.," she said.

Still, warning labels are brief and nuance can be lost in the "noise of the internet," Radesky said. "Family conversations to support healthy media use take a long time and need to happen over and over."

For the surgeon general, a warning label is part of a holistic strategy to reduce the risks that social media poses to young people in the U.S. Systematic design changes by the platforms and legislation to support those changes remain the priority.

"To be clear, a warning label would not, on its own, make social media safe for young people," he wrote. "These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability."

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Surgeon General Calls for Warning Labels on Social Media Platforms

Dr. Vivek Murthy said he would urge Congress to require a warning that social media use can harm teenagers’ mental health.

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy speaking and holding a microphone. He is wearing a dark blue military jacket.

By Ellen Barry and Cecilia Kang

The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, announced on Monday that he would push for a warning label on social media platforms advising parents that using the platforms might damage adolescents’ mental health.

Warning labels — like those that appear on tobacco and alcohol products — are one of the most powerful tools available to the nation’s top health official, but Dr. Murthy cannot unilaterally require them; the action requires approval by Congress.

The proposal builds on several years of escalating warnings from the surgeon general. In a May 2023 advisory, he recommended that parents immediately set limits on phone use, and urged Congress to swiftly develop health and safety standards for technology platforms.

He also called on tech companies to make changes: to share internal data on the health impact of their products; to allow independent safety audits; and restrict features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which he says “prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use.”

In an interview, Dr. Murthy said he had been deeply frustrated by the platforms’ reluctance to do so.

“I don’t think we can solely rely on the hope that the platforms can fix this problem on their own,” he said. “They’ve had 20 years.”

He said that he was “quite optimistic” that legislators will put forward a bill requiring a warning label, which he envisioned would appear regularly on screens when people use social media sites.

The push for a warning label sets up a battle between the Biden administration and the tech industry, which has sued several states for laws on social media.

Technology companies are likely to argue that the science on the harmful effects of social media is not settled. They will also invoke free speech law, arguing that the government cannot force companies to carry a product warning, which is sometimes described as “compelled speech.”

“Legally speaking, it’s no different from a Trump administration surgeon general declaring there needs to be a warning label on mainstream media because he deems it to be fake news,” said Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of Chamber of Progress, a tech lobbying firm. “It’s all the same abuse of government’s power to infringe on speech.”

That challenge may find a sympathetic ear in U.S. courtrooms, with a cohort of judges who show less deference to public health regulations than their predecessors did, said Claudia E. Haupt, a professor of law and political science at Northeastern University School of Law.

For more than a decade, cigarette companies have successfully used a First Amendment argument to fend off a requirement that they print a graphic photograph of diseased lungs on tobacco products, she said.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the surgeon general’s proposal. Spokespeople for YouTube and X declined to comment.

The surgeon general’s call to action received support from two senators, Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, and Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, the authors of the Kids Online Safety Act , which would require platforms to take a range of steps to protect minors on social media but does not include warning labels.

“We are pleased that the Surgeon General — America’s top doctor — continues to bring attention to the harmful impact that social media has on our children,” a joint statement from the two senators said.

Past warning labels have had significant effects on behavior. In 1965, after a landmark report from the surgeon general, Congress voted to require all cigarette packages distributed in the United States to carry a warning that using the product “may be hazardous to your health.”

Thus began a 50-year decline in smoking. When the warning labels first appeared, around 42 percent of U.S. adults were daily cigarette smokers; by 2021, that portion had dropped to 11.5 percent.

There is fierce debate among researchers about whether social media is behind the crisis in child and adolescent mental health. In his new book, “The Anxious Generation,” the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt points to the rise of smartphones in the late aughts as an inflection point that led to a sharp increase in suicidal behavior and reports of despair.

Other experts say that, while the rise of social media has coincided with declines in well-being, there is no evidence that one caused the other, and point instead to factors like economic hardship, social isolation, racism, school shootings and the opioid crisis.

In an essay published in The New York Times opinion section on Monday, Dr. Murthy pointed to research showing that teens who spent more than three hours a day on social media faced a significantly higher risk of mental health problems, and that 46 percent of adolescents said that social media made them feel worse about their bodies.

U.S. teens are spending an average of 4.8 hours per day on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, according to a Gallup survey of more than 1,500 adolescents released last fall.

In an interview last month, Dr. Murthy said he had repeatedly heard from young people who “can’t get off the platforms,” often finding that hours had passed despite their intention to just check their feeds.

“The platforms are designed to maximize how much time we all spend on them,” he said. “It’s one thing to do that to an adult, and another thing to do it to a child, whose impulse control is still developing, whose brain is at a sensitive phase of development.”

Dr. Murthy has long indicated that he views social media as a health risk. In his May 2023 a dvisory on the subject, he warned that “there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”

He cautioned at the time, though, that the effects of social media were not fully understood. Research suggests that the platforms offer both risks and benefits, providing community for young people who might otherwise feel marginalized.

On Monday, he said he had concluded that “the balance of risk versus harm does not justify the use of social media for adolescents.”

“We have put young people in a position where, in order to get some benefits,” like connection with friends, “we’re telling them they have to endure significant harms,” he said. He added, “we have enough information now to act to make the platforms safer.”

Dr. Murthy has steadily dialed up his tone of urgency on the dangers of social media, comparing the current moment with landmark battles in the history of public health.

“One of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information,” he wrote in his essay on Monday. “You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly.”

Sapna Maheshwari , Nico Grant and Maya C. Miller contributed reporting.

Ellen Barry is a reporter covering mental health for The Times. More about Ellen Barry

Cecilia Kang reports on technology and regulatory policy and is based in Washington D.C. She has written about technology for over two decades. More about Cecilia Kang

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Opinion: Why I’m calling for a warning label on social media platforms

It’s time for decisive action to protect our young people..

Xinmei Liu for The New York Times

One of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information. You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly.

The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours . Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.

It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior. When asked if a warning from the surgeon general would prompt them to limit or monitor their children’s social media use, 76 percent of people in one recent survey of Latino parents said yes.

To be clear, a warning label would not, on its own, make social media safe for young people. The advisory I issued a year ago about social media and young people’s mental health included specific recommendations for policymakers, platforms and the public to make social media safer for kids. Such measures, which already have strong bipartisan support, remain the priority.

Legislation from Congress should shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds. The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use.

Additionally, companies must be required to share all of their data on health effects with independent scientists and the public — currently they do not — and allow independent safety audits. While the platforms claim they are making their products safer, Americans need more than words. We need proof.

The rest of society can play a role also. Schools should ensure that classroom learning and social time are phone-free experiences. Parents, too, should create phone-free zones around bedtime, meals and social gatherings to safeguard their kids’ sleep and real-life connections — both of which have direct effects on mental health. And they should wait until after middle school to allow their kids access to social media. This is much easier said than done, which is why parents should work together with other families to establish shared rules, so no parents have to struggle alone or feel guilty when their teens say they are the only one who has to endure limits. And young people can build on teen-focused efforts like the Log Off movement and Wired Human to support one another in reforming their relationship with social media and navigating online environments safely.

Others must help, too. Public health leaders should demand healthy digital environments for young people. Doctors, nurses and other clinicians should raise the issue of social media with kids and parents and guide them toward safer practices. And the federal Kids Online Health & Safety Task Force must continue its leadership in bringing together the best minds from inside and outside government to recommend changes that will make social media safer for our children.

One of the worst things for a parent is to know your children are in danger yet be unable to do anything about it. That is how parents tell me they feel when it comes to social media — helpless and alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms. I think about Lori, a woman from Colorado who fought back tears as she told me about her teenage daughter, who took her life after being bullied on social media. Lori had been diligent, monitoring her daughter’s accounts and phone daily, but harm still found her child.

There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids. There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world.

Parents aren’t the only ones yearning for solutions. Last fall, I gathered with students to talk about mental health and loneliness. As often happens in such gatherings, they raised the issue of social media.

After they talked about what they liked about social media — a way to stay in touch with old friends, find communities of shared identity and express themselves creatively — a young woman named Tina raised her hand. “I just don’t feel good when I use social media,” she said softly, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. Her confession opened the door for her classmates. One by one, they spoke about their experiences with social media: the endless comparison with other people that shredded their self-esteem, the feeling of being addicted and unable to set limits and the difficulty having real conversations on platforms that too often fostered outrage and bullying. There was a sadness in their voices, as if they knew what was happening to them but felt powerless to change it.

As a father of a 6- and a 7-year-old who have already asked about social media, I worry about how my wife and I will know when to let them have accounts. How will we monitor their activity, given the increasingly sophisticated techniques for concealing it? How will we know if our children are being exposed to harmful content or dangerous people? It’s no wonder that when it comes to managing social media for their kids, so many parents are feeling stress and anxiety — and even shame.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Faced with high levels of car-accident-related deaths in the mid- to late 20th century, lawmakers successfully demanded seatbelts, airbags, crash testing and a host of other measures that ultimately made cars safer. This January the F.A.A. grounded about 170 planes when a door plug came off one Boeing 737 Max 9 while the plane was in the air. And the following month, a massive recall of dairy products was conducted because of a listeria contamination that claimed two lives.

Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability.

The moral test of any society is how well it protects its children. Students like Tina and mothers like Lori do not want to be told that change takes time, that the issue is too complicated or that the status quo is too hard to alter. We have the expertise, resources and tools to make social media safe for our kids. Now is the time to summon the will to act. Our children’s well-being is at stake.

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy is the surgeon general and vice admiral of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He was also the surgeon general in the Obama administration. This article originally appeared in The New York Times .

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Influencer marketing in medical tourism: harnessing the power of social media.

In today's digital age, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses across various industries. With the rise of social media platforms, influencers have gained significant traction and influence over their followers, making them valuable partners for businesses looking to expand their reach and credibility. In the medical tourism industry, influencer marketing offers an innovative way to promote healthcare facilities, services, and destinations to potential patients worldwide. In this article, we will delve into the potential of influencer marketing in medical tourism and provide insights on how to effectively harness the power of social media influencers to boost your brand and attract international patients.

Understanding Influencer Marketing in Medical Tourism

Influencer marketing revolves around partnering with influential individuals, primarily on social media platforms, who have a large following and the power to sway their audience's opinions and purchasing decisions. By collaborating with influencers, medical tourism providers can tap into their established networks, increase brand awareness, and showcase their healthcare services and facilities to a broader audience.

In the context of medical tourism, influencer marketing can take various forms, such as:

Promoting a Destination : Influencers can highlight the advantages of a specific destination, showcasing its culture, attractions, and overall appeal to potential medical tourists.
Showcasing Healthcare Facilities : Influencers can visit healthcare facilities, share their experiences, and provide an insider's view of the services, staff, and technology available to patients.
Sharing Patient Testimonials : Influencers can share their own experiences or those of other patients who have undergone treatment at a particular healthcare facility, thereby adding credibility and authenticity to the provider's services.
Educating Potential Patients : Influencers can create educational content related to medical tourism, providing valuable information and insights to their followers about various aspects of the industry, including treatments, procedures, and travel logistics.

Identifying the Right Influencers

Finding the right influencers to collaborate with is crucial for the success of your influencer marketing campaign. Consider the following factors when identifying potential influencer partners:

Relevance : The influencer's content should be relevant to your target audience and align with your healthcare facility's offerings and values. Look for influencers who specialize in healthcare, travel, or lifestyle niches, as their followers are more likely to be interested in medical tourism.
Reach : The size of the influencer's following is an essential factor, as it determines the potential reach of your campaign. However, it is crucial to strike a balance between reach and engagement, as influencers with a smaller but highly engaged following can sometimes yield better results.
Engagement : An influencer's engagement rate, which includes likes, comments, and shares, is a key indicator of their ability to connect with their audience. High engagement rates signify that the influencer's content resonates with their followers, increasing the likelihood of your campaign's success.
Authenticity : Influencers who are genuine, transparent, and relatable in their content are more likely to be trusted by their followers. Prioritize influencers who maintain a sense of authenticity and are credible in their niche, as they can effectively endorse your healthcare facility and services to potential patients.

Engaging and Collaborating with Influencers

Once you have identified the right influencers, it's essential to build a strong working relationship with them. Here are some steps to effectively engage and collaborate with influencers:

Establish Clear Objectives : Define your influencer marketing campaign goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or promoting specific treatments and procedures. Communicate these objectives to the influencers and ensure they understand your expectations.
Provide Creative Freedom : While it's important to provide influencers with guidelines, giving them creative freedom is essential in producing genuine, engaging content. Trust their expertise and allow them to create content that will resonate with their audience while promoting your healthcare facility and services.
Offer Incentives : Incentivize influencers to collaborate with you by offering fair compensation, which could include monetary payment, complementary treatments, or sponsored trips. Make sure to agree to the terms and conditions before starting the campaign.
Measure Success : Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of your influencer marketing campaigns, such as engagement rates, website traffic, and patient inquiries. Regularly monitor and evaluate the results to optimize your strategy and maximize your ROI.

Leveraging User-Generated Content

In addition to collaborating with influencers, you can also leverage user-generated content (UGC) to boost your medical tourism brand. Encourage satisfied patients to share their experiences on social media and use relevant hashtags to increase visibility. UGC can serve as social proof, showcasing the positive experiences of real patients and building trust with potential patients.

Encourage Sharing : Motivate patients to share their experiences by creating a positive, share-worthy environment in your healthcare facility. You can also use contests or giveaways to incentivize patients to share their stories on social media.
Monitor and Curate : Regularly monitor social media platforms for UGC related to your healthcare facility. Curate the best content and showcase it on your website and social media channels, giving credit to the original creator.
Engage with Your Community : Actively engage with patients who share their experiences on social media. Respond to their posts, thank them for sharing, and encourage further conversation to build a sense of community around your brand.

The Role of Global Healthcare Resources in Influencer Marketing

As the leading consulting firm in medical tourism, Global Healthcare Resources can help your organization harness the power of influencer marketing to grow your international patient programs and medical tourism business. With their expertise and extensive knowledge of the industry, Global Healthcare Resources can assist you in developing and executing a successful influencer marketing strategy tailored to your unique needs and objectives.

By partnering with Global Healthcare Resources, you'll gain access to their comprehensive range of services, including market research, strategic planning, digital marketing, and more. Their team of professionals understands the nuances of influencer marketing in the medical tourism industry and can guide you through the process, from identifying the right influencers to optimizing your campaigns for maximum results.

Visit https://www.globalhealthcareresources.com/medical-tourism-consulting to learn more about how Global Healthcare Resources can help you leverage the power of influencer marketing to boost your brand and attract more international patients to your healthcare facility. Elevate your medical tourism business and achieve new levels of success with the support and guidance of the industry's leading consulting firm.

Unveiling the Power of Social Media Marketing in Medical Tourism

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Leveraging social media advertising for medical tourism marketing: boosting visibility and reach.

Social media advertising has become a critical component of medical tourism marketing, as it offers the potential to boost visibility and reach, ultimately attracting more international patients to your services. By leveraging paid advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, you can effectively target your desired audience, optimize your ad performance, and maximize your return on investment. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of social media advertising, effective strategies for ad targeting and optimization, and how to measure the success of your campaigns.

Benefits of Social Media Advertising in Medical Tourism Marketing

Social media advertising offers several benefits to medical tourism organizations:

Increased visibility: Paid advertising can help your brand reach a broader audience and increase visibility, especially when targeting international patients.
Precise targeting: Social media platforms allow for detailed targeting options, enabling you to reach your desired audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.
Optimized ad performance: By continually monitoring and optimizing your ad campaigns, you can maximize your return on investment and ensure that your marketing budget is well-spent.
Enhanced brand awareness: Consistently appearing in front of your target audience through paid advertising can help build brand awareness and increase the likelihood of potential patients considering your services.
Retargeting capabilities: Social media advertising allows for retargeting, enabling you to re-engage with users who have previously interacted with your brand or visited your website.

Strategies for Effective Social Media Advertising

To leverage social media advertising effectively, consider implementing the following strategies:

Choose the right platforms: Focus your advertising efforts on the platforms that are most relevant to your target audience and where your potential patients are most active.
Define your ad objectives: Clearly outline your advertising objectives, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating leads, to ensure your campaigns are aligned with your overall marketing goals.
Segment your audience: Break down your target audience into smaller segments based on factors like demographics, interests, and behaviors, allowing for more personalized and relevant ad targeting.
Create compelling ad creatives: Develop visually appealing ad creatives that resonate with your target audience, convey your brand message effectively, and encourage users to engage with your content.
Optimize ad targeting: Continuously monitor and optimize your ad targeting based on campaign performance, ensuring that your ads are reaching the right audience and driving the desired results.
Monitor and analyze campaign performance: Regularly review your campaign performance, tracking key metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost-per-click, to inform your ongoing optimization efforts.

Measuring the Success of Your Social Media Advertising Campaigns

To assess the success of your social media advertising campaigns, track the following key performance indicators (KPIs):

Impressions: The number of times your ad was shown to users. This metric indicates the reach of your campaign and can help you gauge brand visibility.
Clicks: The number of times users clicked on your ad. This metric is crucial for understanding user engagement and interest in your content.
Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that resulted in a click. A higher CTR indicates that your ad is resonating with your audience and effectively driving engagement.
Conversions: The number of desired actions taken by users after clicking on your ad, such as filling out a contact form, downloading a brochure, or making an appointment. Conversions are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of your campaigns in driving tangible results for your business.
Conversion rate: The percentage of clicks that resulted in a conversion. A higher conversion rate suggests that your ad targeting and messaging are effectively driving users to take the desired action.
Cost-per-click (CPC): The average cost of each click on your ad. Monitoring CPC can help you optimize your ad spending and ensure that your marketing budget is being used effectively.
Return on investment (ROI): The ratio of revenue generated from your ad campaign to the total amount spent on advertising. Tracking ROI can help you determine the overall success of your social media advertising efforts and inform future marketing decisions.

Social media advertising is a powerful tool for boosting visibility and reach in medical tourism marketing. By leveraging the right platforms, defining clear ad objectives, segmenting your audience, and continuously optimizing your campaigns, you can attract more international patients and drive tangible results for your business.

If you're looking to enhance your medical tourism marketing efforts and leverage the power of social media advertising, partnering with Global Healthcare Resources can provide the support and expertise you need. As the leading consulting firm in medical tourism, Global Healthcare Resources can assist you in growing your international patient programs and medical tourism business. Visit their website at https://www.globalhealthcareresources.com/medical-tourism-consulting to learn more about how they can help your organization succeed in the competitive medical tourism industry.

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How Social Media Is Influencing Medical Tourism
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Medical Tourism

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Understanding the Role of Social Media in Medical Tourism
Build trust and drive conversions in medical tourism through strategic social media presence. Learn how to choose the right platforms, create engaging content, and foster a community. Discover the impact of Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) in fortifying patient confidence. Social media in medical tourism Building trust through social media presence Choosing the right platforms for medical ...
Leveraging Social Media Marketing in Medical Tourism: An In-Depth Guide
Discover the benefits of social media marketing for medical tourism, and gain insights on the best practices and strategies to engage, inform, and attract international patients to your healthcare organization. social media marketing, medical tourism, international patients, healthcare organizations, Global Healthcare Resources, medical tourism consulting, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter ...
Unleashing the Potential of Social Media to Elevate Medical Tourism
The Influence of Social Media on Medical Tourism. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide healthcare organizations with a unique opportunity to connect with prospective patients, demonstrate their expertise, and present their services in a compelling and accessible manner. By crafting and sharing high-quality ...
Understanding the Role of Social Media in Medical Tourism
Social media is a game-changer for medical tourism, offering unique opportunities to build trust and credibility. Explore the role of social media in fostering transparency, sharing patient testimonials, and educating potential patients. Learn effective strategies for leveraging social media, engaging with your audience, and collaborating with influencers to enhance patient conversion rates.
Unveiling the Power of Social Media Marketing in Medical Tourism
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide a global stage for medical tourism providers to showcase their offerings. Establishing a strong online presence through engaging content, visually appealing images, and informative posts can captivate the attention of potential medical tourists.
Digital Medical Tourism Branding: Leveraging Social Media and Online
Strategies for Leveraging Social Media in Medical Tourism. Social media has become an essential tool for medical tourism organizations, offering a powerful platform for sharing content, engaging with potential patients, and increasing brand awareness. The following strategies can help organizations effectively leverage social media in their ...
Applications of social media for medical tourism marketing: an
ABSTRACT. Medical tourism has grown extensively over the past decade. Although social media is perceived to be an effective communication channel for both tourists and tourism providers, empirical analyses of how social media are used for medical tourism marketing are rare.
How Social Media Is Influencing Medical Tourism
Social Media's Part in the Rise of Medical Tourism. Travel medicine professionals are attributing some of the increase in medical tourism's popularity to social media influence.
How Social Media Is Influencing Medical Tourism
Medical tourism has existed subtly for centuries with humans traveling to other destinations for medical care. However, some experts believe social media is playing a role in the new growth. In 2017, more than 1.4 million Americans participated in medical tourism, according to the American Journal of Medicine.
Applications of social media for medical tourism marketing: an
Abstract. Medical tourism has grown extensively over the past decade. Although social media is perceived to be an effective communication channel for both tourists and tourism providers, empirical ...
Marketing Medical Tourism on Social Media Channels
Attracting strong social-media talent is a struggle across many industries, but healthcare has historically spent little on marketing and social media, are now compete with the Google, Apple and and consultants of varying skill and cultural insight to be effective. These hurdles are even more noticeable in medical tourism start-ups.
Applications of social media for medical tourism marketing: an
This engagement and relationship building through social media requires a substantial commitment of human resources. However, while there is signiﬁcant potential for medical tourism providers to use social media in their marketing activities, research into the use of social media marketing by medical tourism providers remains limited.
Applications of social media for medical tourism marketing: an
Findings indicate that medical tourism providers performed well in maintaining customer intimacy, although could do more to stimulate customer involvement, interaction, and gather customer insights. ABSTRACT Medical tourism has grown extensively over the past decade. Although social media is perceived to be an effective communication channel for both tourists and tourism providers, empirical ...
Measuring ROI Benefits of Social Media for Medical Tourism
Social media for medical tourism marketing requires a strategy to continuously interact. If a person is your fan/follower for 3 months, interacting with your content, discussing how they benefited from your care or counsel, their personal story about their outcomes and their satisfaction, and what they enjoyed most about their medical tourism ...
Leveraging Social Media for Effective Medical Tourism Promotion
Benefits of Leveraging Social Media for Medical Tourism Promotion: Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn have a vast user base, providing an opportunity for medical tourism providers to reach a global audience. By creating engaging content and leveraging social media tools such as hashtags, paid advertising ...
Leveraging Social Media to Boost Online Reputation in ...
Dr. Kevin Pho, a leading social media voice and past speaker at the Medical Tourism Congress noted a few ways in which social media promotes healthcare providers and their online reputation, as well as healthcare delivery in general. ‍ Improve Accessibility. This remains a crucial marketing element for stakeholders in the health tourism industry.
Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism Research—A Review of the
Along with the development of medical-health-wellness tourism, social-cultural contradictions and economic inequities are widening in terms of access, cost, ... Imison M., Schweinsberg S. Australian news media framing of medical tourism in low-And middle income countries: A content review. BMC Public Health. 2013; 13:109. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458 ...
Medical Tourism Guide: Countries, Benefits, and Risks
Medical tourism refers to a patient seeking medical care internationally. The primary incentive behind medical tourism is lower healthcare costs. ... To learn more about a healthcare facility, consider joining expat groups on social media for the city or country you will be traveling to. Ask the group for recommendations, or inquire about any ...
Aesthetic Surgery Tourism: An Opportunity or a Danger?
Background Medical and surgical tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon in post-pandemic Europe. The exodus of patients abroad to perform surgery, especially cosmetic treatments, is spreading recently in industrialized countries. In the social media era, the ease of access to advertising about surgical procedures and their costs favors traveling. However, the information given is not always ...
The Future of Tourism: Replacing Social Media with Artificial
This article critically analyses how AI will replace social media in the tourism industry, examining the potential impacts on marketing, customer engagement, service delivery, and the overall tourism experience. The Current Role of Social Media in Tourism. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have transformed ...
Science of social media's effect on mental health isn't as clear cut as
Related video above: Surgeon General calls for warning labels on social media amid youth mental health concerns. In the study, published Monday in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers ...
Surgeon General Calls for Warning Labels on Social Media Platforms
Published June 17, 2024 Updated June 18, 2024. Leer en español. The U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, announced on Monday that he would push for a warning label on social media platforms ...
Opinion: Why I'm calling for a warning label on social media platforms
Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023 ...
Assessing the economic effects of investment in smart tourism platform
Namho Chung is a Dean of College of Hotel & Toursim Management and the Director of Smart Tourism Research Center at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea. He had been a Visiting Research Fellow at School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey in Guildford, UK. Currently, he leads smart tourism research projects in the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the ...
Influencer Marketing in Medical Tourism: Harnessing the Power of Social
Uncover the secrets to leveraging influencer marketing in the medical tourism industry. Learn how to identify, engage, and collaborate with social media influencers to boost your brand and attract international patients. Influencer marketing, medical tourism, social media, brand awareness, international patients, influencer collaboration, influencer engagement
Leveraging Social Media Advertising for Medical Tourism Marketing
Discover effective strategies for leveraging social media advertising in medical tourism marketing to boost your brand's visibility and reach, ultimately attracting more international patients to your services. social media advertising, medical tourism marketing, visibility, reach, international patients, Global Healthcare Resources, medical tourism consulting, Facebook ads, Instagram ads ...
Deep Dive: Social media, budgets are changing how mainland Chinese
Xiaohongshu, a Chinese Instagram-like social media platform, has reshaped Hong Kong's tourism landscape. On the app, influencers share ideas and tips for lesser-known destinations.
With new investments and affiliation agreements, Lifespan to become
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Lifespan and Brown University] — Amid ongoing headwinds facing the health care sector, Lifespan health system and Brown University have finalized terms on a set of expanded affiliation agreements to strengthen top-quality patient care, medical education and biomedical research in Rhode Island. As part of the agreements, Lifespan will change its name to Brown University ...
Texas Medical Board adopts abortion guidance
The Texas Medical Board on Friday adopted guidance for how doctors should interpret the state's new abortion laws, reducing paperwork requirements some saw as overly burdensome but declining to ...
Supreme Court case on trans youth could impact Texas
Texas' ban on transition-related care for minors is currently before the Supreme Court of Texas. Gay marriage supporters hold a pride flag in front of the Supreme Court before a hearing about ...

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How Social Media Is Influencing Medical Tourism

Social Media’s Part in the Rise of Medical Tourism

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Social Media’s Part in the Rise of Medical Tourism

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Marketing Medical Tourism on Social Media Channels

The biggest hurdle is relevancy

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Applications of social media for medical tourism marketing: an empirical analysis

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Authoritative guidance, training and insights on the business of health tourism

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Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism Research—A Review of the Literature (1970–2020) and Research Agenda

Baolin Deng

J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak

1. Introduction

2. Scholarly Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Medical, Health and Wellness Tourism

3.1. Data Collection

3.2. Data Analysis

4.1. Overview of Articles Published

4.2. Source Journals

4.3. Author Productivity and Authorship Analysis

4.4. Author Regions and Affiliations

4.5. Thematic Analysis of Research

4.6. Markets: Demand and Behavior

4.7. Destinations: Development and Promotion

4.8. Development Environments: Policies and Impacts

5. Discussion and Conclusions

5.2. Future Research Trends

5.2.2. Destination Development Perspectives

5.2.3. Tourist Perspectives

5.3. Limitations

Author Contributions

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed Consent Statement

Data Availability Statement

Why Patients Are Turning to Medical Tourism

Planning Ahead

Medical Tourism Benefits

Lower Costs

Popular Countries for Medical Tourism

Culture and Language

Insurance Incentives

Luxury and Privacy

Vacation in a Foreign Country

Bypassing Rules and Regulations

Talented Surgeons

Medical Tourism Risks

Poorly Trained Surgeons

Quality of Staff

Quality of the Facility

Flying Home After Surgery

Unplanned Illness

Language Barriers

A Word About Transplant Tourism

What are popular countries for medical tourism?