Physical, psychological, and social aspects of QOL medical tourism

Abstract

Traveling along different destinations in terms of utilization of medical facilities and activities is known as “medical tourism” in the literature. In this chapter, the maintenance of quality-of-life is discussed from medical, economic, legal, and ethical perspectives in the context of medical tourism. In terms of economic gains, it saves substantial amount of money for patients, preventing deterioration of their economic well-being. Medical tourism decreases the time between diagnoses and treatment by providing new locations for treatment while the country of origin’s capacity remains limited. In the case of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, waiting for medical operations and procedures can be demoralizing for both patients and family members. By medical tourism, tourists save money and time which enhances their economic well-being and psychological well-being, as well as their health. We argue that medical tourism enhances quality of lives for both medical tourists and local people of the host country. Health-related and financial problems medical travel sometimes brings are also discussed. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012.