Home Articles List Article Information
International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health
Journal Archive
Volume Volume 6 (2018)
Volume Volume 5 (2017)
Volume Volume 4 (2016)
Volume Volume 3 (2015)
Volume Volume 2 (2014)
Volume Volume 1 (2013)
Dehdashti Shahrokh, Z., Zargham Brojeni, H., Nasehifar, V., Nakhaei Kamalabadi, H. (2017). A Progressive Multilevel Model for Selecting Medical Tourism Destinations: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 5(2), 60-68. doi: 10.15171/ijtmgh.2017.12
Zohreh Dehdashti Shahrokh; Hamid Zargham Brojeni; Vahid Nasehifar; Hosnieh Nakhaei Kamalabadi. "A Progressive Multilevel Model for Selecting Medical Tourism Destinations: A Qualitative Study". International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 5, 2, 2017, 60-68. doi: 10.15171/ijtmgh.2017.12
Dehdashti Shahrokh, Z., Zargham Brojeni, H., Nasehifar, V., Nakhaei Kamalabadi, H. (2017). 'A Progressive Multilevel Model for Selecting Medical Tourism Destinations: A Qualitative Study', International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 5(2), pp. 60-68. doi: 10.15171/ijtmgh.2017.12
Dehdashti Shahrokh, Z., Zargham Brojeni, H., Nasehifar, V., Nakhaei Kamalabadi, H. A Progressive Multilevel Model for Selecting Medical Tourism Destinations: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health, 2017; 5(2): 60-68. doi: 10.15171/ijtmgh.2017.12

A Progressive Multilevel Model for Selecting Medical Tourism Destinations: A Qualitative Study

Article 5, Volume 5, Issue 2, Spring 2017, Page 60-68  XML PDF (440.76 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.15171/ijtmgh.2017.12
Authors
Zohreh Dehdashti Shahrokh 1; Hamid Zargham Brojeni2; Vahid Nasehifar1; Hosnieh Nakhaei Kamalabadi3
1Marketing Management Department, Faculty of Management & Accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
2Tourism Management Department, Faculty of Management & Accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
3Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
Receive Date: 03 May 2017,  Revise Date: 21 June 2017,  Accept Date: 21 June 2017 
Abstract
Introduction: The overall objective of this study was to design a progressive multilevel model using the Delphi method for selecting a medical tourism destination which includes three levels of decision making: the destination country, then the destination city, and finally, the healthcare center in the selected city. This model can be used as a new area of research for further planning in Iran’s growing medical tourism industry.
Methods: This study is a descriptive, practical research using a qualitative approach. In the preliminary stage, an extensive review of the literature was performed, and the Delphi method was used to identify factors influencing the selection of Iran as a medical tourism destination. Experts participating in the Delphi panel reached consensuses after applying three rounds. Analysis of the data from the Delphi panel resulted in the construction of a multilevel model for selecting a medical tourism destination.
Results: The outcome of this research was a constructed multilevel model for selecting a medical tourism destination. The model indicates all factors influencing the selection of each level of destination. It also includes two stages of decision making (medical tourism and information search), which come before the selection of three levels of destination.
Conclusion: Iran’s political and economic situations after the imposition of sanctions and its problems in providing banking services for medical tourists are among the factors influencing medical tourists not to choose Iran as their destination. Government support, planned promotional activities, and JCI accreditations could increase the attraction of medical tourists to Iran.    
Keywords
Medical tourism; Multilevel model; Iran
References
  1. Kumar GS, Raj RK. Status, growth and impact of medical tourism in India. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res. 2015;34(1):284-291.
  2. Connell J. Contemporary medical tourism: conceptualisation, culture and commodi. Tour Manag. 2013;34:1-13.
  3. Turner L. “Medical tourism” and the global marketplace in health services: U.S. patients, international hospitals, and the search for affordable health care. Int J Health Serv. 2010;40(3):443-467. doi:10.2190/HS.40.3.d.
  4. Moghimehfar F, Nasr-Esfahani MH. Decisive factors in medical tourism destination choice: a case study of Isfahan, Iran and fertility treatments. Tour Manag. 2011;32(6):1431-1434.
  5. Gholami M, Jabbari A, Kavosi Z, Gholami M. Service quality in iran’s medical tourism: hospitals in Shiraz city. Int J Travle Med Glob Health. 2016;4(1):19-24. doi:10.20286/ijtmgh-040119.
  6. Asadi R, Daryaei M. Strategies for development of Iran health tourism. Eur J Soc Sci. 2011;23(3):329-344.
  7. Izadi M, Ayoobian A, Nasiri T, Joneidi N, Fazel M, Hosseinpourfard M. Situation of health tourism in Iran; opportunity or threat. Mil Med J. 2012;14(2):69-75.
  8. Jabbari A, Zarchi MR, Kavosi Z, Shafaghat T, Keshtkaran A. The marketing mix and development of medical tourism in Shiraz. Mater Sociomed. 2013;25(1):32-36. doi:10.5455/msm.2013.25.32-36.
  9. Smith P, Forgione DA. Global outsourcing of healthcare: a medical tourism decision model. Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research. 2008;9(3):19-31. doi:10.1080/15228053.2007.10856117.
  10. Heung VCS, Kucukusta D, Song H. A conceptual model of medical tourism: implications for future research. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing. 2010;27(3):236-251. doi:10.1080/10548401003744677.
  11. Hueng VCS, Kucukusta D, Song H. Medical tourism development in Hong Kong: an assessment of the barriers. Tour Manag. 2011;32:995-1005.
  12. Dehdashti ZS, Nakhaei HK. An entropy (Shannon) based approach for determining importance weights of infuencing factors in selecting medical tourism destination. Int J Travel Med Glob Health. 2016;4(4):115-121. doi:10.21859/ijtmgh-040406.
  13. Fetscherin M, Stephano RM. The medical tourism index: Scale development and validation. Tour Manag. 2016;52:539-556.
  14. Foroudi P, Gupta S, Kitchen P, Foroudi MM, Nguyen B. A framework of place branding, place image, and place reputation: antecedents and moderators. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal. 2016;19(2):241-264. doi:10.1108/QMR-02-2016-0020.
  15. Manouchehri J, Farhangi AA, Someeh S, Shakibaei E. The challenges of Kish health tourism: A case study. Int J Basic Appl Sci. 2014;3(3):335-343.
  16. Hajinejad A, Eslamfard F. Formulating Strategies for the development of treatment tourism in Shiraz (Iran) using a strategic planning approach (SWOT). J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci. 2013;12(8):641-654. [Persian].
  17. Ye BH, Yuen PP, Qui HZ, Zhang VH. Motivation of medical tourists: an exploratory case study of Hong Kong medical tourists. PTA Annual Conference; 2008; Bangkok, Thailand.
  18. Leng CH. Medical tourism in Malaysia: international movement of healthcare consumers and the commodification of healthcare. Asia Research Institute Working Paper Series No. 83; 2007.
  19. Dwyer L, Kim C. Destination competitiveness: determinants and indicators. Current Issues in Tourism. 2008;6(5):369-414. doi:10.1080/13683500308667962.
  20. Alsharif M, Labonte R. Patients beyond borders: a study of medical tourists in four countries. Glob Soc Policy. 2010;10:315-335. doi:10.1177/1468018110380003.
  21. Ghanbari S, Hajinejad A, Rahmani P. Formulating strategic plan of medical tourism development. Int J Travlel Med Glob Health. 2014;2(4):149-154.
  22. Saadatnia F, Mehregan MR. Determining and prioritizing factors affecting to increase customers attraction of medical tourism from the perspective of Arabic countries. Int J Mark Stud. 2014;6(3):155.
  23. Ehrebeck T, Guevara C, Mango PD, Cordina R, Singhal S. Health care and the consumer. McKinsey Quarterly. 2008;4:80-91.
  24. Yu JY, Ko TG. A cross-cultural study of perceptions of medical tourism among Chinese, Japenese and Korean tourists in Korea. Tour Manag. 2012;33:80-88. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2011.02.002.
  25. Connell J. Medical tourism: sea, sun, sand and... surger. Tour Manag. 2006;27(6):1093-1100. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2005.11.005.
  26. Lunt N, Smith RD, Mannion R, et al. Implications for the NHS of inward and outward medical tourism: a policy and economic analysis using literature review and mixed-methods approaches. Health Serv Deliv Res. 2014;2(2):262.
  27. Hallowell MR, Gambatese JA. Qualitative research: application of the Delphi method to CEM research. J Constr Eng Manag. 2010;136(1). doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000137.
  28. Lang T. An Overview of Four Futures Methodologies (Delphi, Environmental Scanning, Issues Management and Emerging Issue Analysis). http://158.132.155.107/posh97/private/research/methods-delphi/LANG.pdf.
  29. Anderson DR, Sweeney DJ, Williams TA. Statistics For Business And Economics. Cincinnati: South Western, Thomson Learning Publishing; 2002.
  30. Blalock HM. Social Statistics. Singapore: McGraw-Hill; 1979.
Statistics
Article View: 573
PDF Download: 417