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Hosseini, S., Maher, A., Safarian, O., Ayoubian, A., Sheibani-Tehrani, D., Amini-Anabad, H., Hashemidehaghi, Z. (2015). Development Strategy of Health Tourism in Iran. International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 3(4), 153-158. doi: 10.20286/ijtmgh-0304143
Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini; Ali Maher; Omidreza Safarian; Ali Ayoubian; Donya Sheibani-Tehrani; Hossein Amini-Anabad; Zahra Hashemidehaghi. "Development Strategy of Health Tourism in Iran". International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 3, 4, 2015, 153-158. doi: 10.20286/ijtmgh-0304143
Hosseini, S., Maher, A., Safarian, O., Ayoubian, A., Sheibani-Tehrani, D., Amini-Anabad, H., Hashemidehaghi, Z. (2015). 'Development Strategy of Health Tourism in Iran', International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 3(4), pp. 153-158. doi: 10.20286/ijtmgh-0304143
Hosseini, S., Maher, A., Safarian, O., Ayoubian, A., Sheibani-Tehrani, D., Amini-Anabad, H., Hashemidehaghi, Z. Development Strategy of Health Tourism in Iran. International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 2015; 3(4): 153-158. doi: 10.20286/ijtmgh-0304143

Development Strategy of Health Tourism in Iran

Article 5, Volume 3, Issue 4, Autumn 2015, Page 153-158  XML PDF (806 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.20286/ijtmgh-0304143
Authors
Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini1; Ali Maher1; Omidreza Safarian1; Ali Ayoubian2; Donya Sheibani-Tehrani3; Hossein Amini-Anabad4; Zahra Hashemidehaghi 5, 6
1Department of Health Services Management, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5Eye Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6Department of Health Services Management, Tehran South Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Receive Date: 01 May 2015,  Revise Date: 26 July 2015,  Accept Date: 07 August 2015 
Abstract
Introduction: Iran has considerable potentials for growth of health tourism. However, they have not been properly realized towards national development.This paper has attempted to prioritize the development strategies of health tourism in Iran which has been conducted on the hospitals of Tehran.

Methods: This study is a descriptive-analytical research. It was carried out in 2013 and the sample size was determined through snowball non-probability sampling. A questionnaire was administered to 29 participants and the development strategies were formulated by SWOT.

Results: The findings of the research showed that the weakness points of the health tourism industry override the strength points. This is while the opportunities of development are more than threats.

Conclusion: One may conclude that Iran’s health tourism is in a weakness opportunity (WO) situation and needs strategies which have been specially designed for such situations. Therefore, the improvement strategies (WO) have been located in priority for the development of health tourism in Iran. 
Keywords
Strategy of Development; Health tourism; SWOT; Iran
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