Niche categories within the travel market are enjoying robust growth and once such a category is seeing explosive demand and is forecast to grow at a healthy 21.6% CAGR through 2034. Increasing health care costs and longer wait times for procedures are driving demand for medical related travel, powering growth in the Medical Tourism category. Simply defined, Medical Tourism is for individuals who seek non-elective and elective medical procedures and treatment away from their resident country. Some key factors driving Medical Tourism:
- The desire for better quality care
- The need for faster service
- Seeking cost effective ways to manage health care spending
Can healthcare systems keep up with an aging global population? As capacities are reduced and wait times increase, inflation also takes its toll on healthcare costs, making medical travel a viable option that enable travelers to combine healthcare and leisure aspect of the trip, further extending the value of their travel and healthcare spending
The Medical Tourism Category
Medical Tourism covers a broad range of healthcare procedures and treatments and falls into elective and non-elective categories. Dental procedures are some of the top drivers for medical travel as costs for dental care can be much less even in places as close as Mexico. Cosmetic procedures are in the top tier of medical travel demand while individuals have traveled abroad for critical procedures such as cancer treatments and organ transplants as well therapeutic procedures such as fertility treatments and wellness education. Top destinations for medical tourism in 2024 are:
- India
- Thailand
- Singapore
- Turkey
- Mexico
- South Korea
- Brazil
Many regional governments have regulations in place to ensure integrity and safety for foreigners access local healthcare facilities and providers but it is up the individual traveler to understand the nuances and complexities for planning and undertaking medical travel
Medical Travel Planning Has Its Complexities
Medical travel planning can be a daunting task with all the added layers that are associated with healthcare and well being. Detailed and complete planning is crucial for success when working with foreign healthcare systems. Travelers must have a total understanding of the nuances and structure of the country’s medical infrastructure and have resources available to navigate such systems. Pre-planning of appointments and facility navigation are necessary to ensure all visits and procedures are completed and fit within the allotted transportation windows. Handling documentation is another layer of details that are part of medical travel and having all the correct documents is critical to a successful medical journey. Coordinating facility visits with flights, ground transportation and accommodations adds another layer of complexity to the medical trip. The details and planning that go into medical travel can be daunting and increase stress levels but modern innovations in mobile technology can assist medical travelers with planning and executing medical trips and relieve some of the stresses associated with setting up a medical journey.
Technology Assists with Medical Travel Planning
Planning a medical trip can be a daunting task that can add an extra level of stress on the traveler. Medical travel is a complex experience and will have many details that need to be planned to ensure a successful journey. Technology through mobile app platforms can deliver substantial support and assistance before, during and after the medical tour, alleviating some of the stresses involved with healthcare travel planning and follow through. medTOUR+assist is a brand new mobile travel app that maximizes mobile device functionality to deliver real conveniences and benefits to medical travelers. medTOUR+assist offer the following core functions and capabilities:
- Create, plan and edit medical travel from start to finish
- Trip dates
- Accommodation and ground transportation details
- Healthcare facility locations and important information
- Organize and set reminders and notifications for upcoming appointments, consultations, procedures and pre and post trip healthcare tasks
- Access and view important healthcare trip related documents
- Quickly reference local healthcare resources and regulations
- Offers localized suggestions and recommendations for the leisure part of the journey
- Create, edit and manage pre and post procedure checklists and follow through tasks
medTOUR+assist enables users to quickly organize and plan a complete medical trip and its capabilities deliver important conveniences and benefits to medical travelers, before, during and after the medical trip. medTOUR+assist is #indev and will launched for Android and iOS devices.
Travelers Enjoy the Benefits of Medical Travel and Technology
The benefits of Medical Tourism are significant, especially to those faced with longer wait times, lower quality service and increasing costs. Individuals who choose elective procedures are also seeing benefits as costs can be up to 90% lower in some regions of the world. Medical travel does come with additional complexities when it comes to planning and executing a healthcare trip. Mobile apps that maximize the functionality of smartphones can deliver important conveniences and features to medical travelers and relieve some of the stresses involved in planning these types of journeys. Savvy travelers include leisure and tourist elements to medical trips to complement planned medical procedures and mobile technology can provide localized resources for both parts of the trip. The growing Medical Travel category has created new opportunities for innovation to elevate the traveler’s experience, one medical tour at a time.
Visit the medTOUR+assist micro-site for more information.