The Newest Research Findings in Medical Tourism
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Transcript The Newest Research Findings in Medical Tourism
A Study of Potential Medical Tourists:
Marketing Recommendations for
Cyprus
Dr. Michael Guiry
Senior Fellow
Center for Medical Tourism Research (CMTR)
University of the Incarnate Word (UIW)
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Agenda
Describe the CMTR
Medical Tourism Model
CMTR Research on Potential U.S. Medical
Tourists
Research on European Medical Tourism
Cyprus and the Medical Tourism
Continuum
Marketing Recommendations
About Us
Center for Medical Tourism Research
◦ First and leading academic-based research
center in this industry
(Medical & Retirement Tourism/Travel)
◦ Non-profit organization
◦ Motivated to spread the word and influence
key stakeholders
◦ Key members have years of healthcare and
international business experience
Model for Understanding the
Drivers of Medical Tourism
Globalization
Technology
Medical Tourism
Consumerism
Types of Medical Tourism
POTENTIAL U.S.
MEDICAL TOURISTS
PMT Sample Demographics
Avg. Age: 36.49
(36.7- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Gender: Females 65.47%
(50.7%- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Education: HS- 12.4% / C- 33.9% / G- 18.8%
(HS- 84.5% / C- 27.4% / G- 10.3%- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Avg. Household Inc. (Gross): $101,815 Mean/
$50,000 Median and Mode
($52,175- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Race/Ethnicity: B- 8.6% / A- 7.8% / W- 39.7% / H- .3% /
Other (Pref. Not)- 43.5%
(B- 12.3% / A- 4.4% / W- 74.3% / H- 15.1%U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Marital Status: M- 46.9% / NM- 39%
(M- 50.2% / NM- 30.8%- U.S. Census Est. 2008)
Findings: If Medical Travel- What
Findings: Research
Internet was #1 by a wide margin
Expectations of Int’l Healthcare
Facilities (Top 8 Answers)
Healthcare facility employees are knowledgeable. (Assurance)
Patients feel safe in their interactions with healthcare facility
employees. (Assurance)
Healthcare facilities are accurate in their billing. (Reliability)
Healthcare facility employees get adequate support from their
employers to do their jobs well. (Assurance)
Healthcare facility employees tell patients exactly when services
will be performed. (Responsiveness)
Healthcare facilities provide their services at the time they promise
to do so. (Reliability)
Healthcare facilities in other countries have up-to-date equipment.
(Tangibles)
Healthcare facilities have their patients' best interests at heart.
(Empathy)
Medical Tourism as Wish Fulfillment?
The use of medical tourism services will allow
me to achieve more:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Freedom to act
Knowledge
Pleasurable life
Comfort in my life
Stimulating and adventurous life
RESEARCH ON
EUROPEAN MEDICAL
TOURISM
A Study of Romania
Findings of the study (of Europeans):
80% of the foreign tourists have no idea what Romania
can offer them
Most were only exposed to negative news about the
country.
Conclusions:
◦ They needed to find an element to differentiate Romania’s brand
from other countries or
◦ They must invent one.
Gallup/Eurobarometer Study of
European Cross Border Care (2007)
4% of Europeans received medical
treatment in another EU Member State
over the past 12 months
Slightly more than half of EU citizens are
open to travel to another EU country to
seek medical treatment (54%)
The most prominent reason to do so is a
hypothesized unavailability of the
necessary treatment in the domestic
healthcare system
Gallup/Eurobarometer Study of
European Cross Border Care (2007)
Motivating Factors:
◦ Europeans hope to receive a treatment of better
quality (generally, or through a specialist residing
elsewhere in Europe)
◦ The promise of quicker access to the necessary
treatment
Different perspectives:
◦ Quality is the major drive for health tourism to
Western Europe
◦ Lower prices are a major argument to travel for
treatment to Central and South Eastern Europe
EU Society for Human Reproduction
and Embryology Studies (1)
An online survey of over 300 patients last
year found that 76% would consider going
abroad
The vast majority of those who went
(88%) were happy with their treatment
CYPRUS AND THE
MEDICAL TOURISM
CONTINUUM
Cyprus’ Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Close proximity to over 110 million European Baby
Boomers
Increasing perception of quality
Low cost infrastructure (personnel, legal, etc.)
Beautiful tourism destination
Weaknesses
History of turmoil/political issues
Known more for recreational tourism
Lack of a Medical School or specialized institutions
focused on health tourism or engaged in health tourism
Offer a Continuum of Services
Marketing Recommendations
Create and Market a Medical Tourism Brand and Brand
Image
◦ Use a Brand Personality framework (Aaker 1997)
◦ 5 Dimensions
• Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness
Manage Customer Expectations
◦ Avoid service quality gaps, i.e., difference between perceptions
and expectations of service quality
Associate the Provision of Medical Tourism Services
with Personal Values
◦ Being a medical tourist is more than just a trip abroad for
healthcare; for some it is a 'journey' or a 'wish fulfillment' effort
Questions
Thank you!
Contact Dr. David Vequist, Founder and
Director of CMTR at [email protected]
Contact Dr. Michael Guiry at
[email protected]
EU Society for Human Reproduction
and Embryology Studies (2)
Another study was carried out in six countries
during the course of one month –
◦ Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain
and Switzerland (1,230 patients)
Greatest numbers were: Italy (31.8%), Germany (14.4%), the
Netherlands (12.1%) and France (8.7%)
◦ Most traveled to bypass legal restrictions
34% of those from the UK said they went abroad because of
difficulties of access to treatment.
The average age was over 37 but 63.5% of the British patients
were over 40
Medical Tourism Country
Investments (Potential)
Higher
Investments in High Tech and
Commercial Research (e.g., Pharma, Energy, etc.)
Higher
Higher
Intensity of
the
Regulatory
Changes
Required
Intensity of
the Current
Competitive
Environment
Investments in HC & Medical/Retirement Tourism
Investments in Technology Manufacturing/
High-end Consumer/Commercial Products
Investments in Service Outsourcing
ROI
Investments in Basic
Tourism Activities
Investments in Low-end
Consumer/Commercial
Products
Lower
Lower
Estimates based on the CMTR
Lower
Cyprus: ROI and Investments
ROI described:
◦ Job growth (great jobs too!)
◦ Brings opportunities for new direct (and indirect) revenue
streams
◦ Fills a community need
Ask yourselves, based on the economic and
environmental factors“Will there be a time in the next 20-30 years when
great healthcare will not be in demand?”
Recommendations
All◦ Prepare to create and market a medical tourism brand!
Government◦ Create a good business environment!
Tax incentives, tax holidays, prioritize infrastructure and regulatory
improvements
Education◦ Get universities involved!
Private Industry◦ Prioritize investments in this area and invest!
Healthcare facilities and particularly retirement tourism-aligned
developments
Don’t Believe Me?
IFC is:
• the private sector arm of the World Bank
• invests in private sector projects in developing countries
• world’s largest multilateral investor in the private health sector