An evidence-based policy for improving choice in global health access through medical travel

•Medical travel is expanding rapidly around the world.•There is still no overarching framework for policies related to medical travel.•Experiment tested decision-making preferences using factors derived from existing evidence.•Quality of care is the most critical factor in medical travel decision.•A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health policy (Amsterdam) 2018-12, Vol.122 (12), p.1372-1376
Main Authors: Ruggeri, Kai, Ivanović, Nevena, Razum, Josip, Kácha, Ondřej, Menezes, Igor G., Zafari, Zafar, Garcia-Garzon, Eduardo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access
Decision making
Destinations
Evidence-based policy
Global health policy
Health administration
Health care expenditures
Health care policy
Health economics
Medical tourism
Medical travel
Quality of care
Travel
Waiting times
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Summary:•Medical travel is expanding rapidly around the world.•There is still no overarching framework for policies related to medical travel.•Experiment tested decision-making preferences using factors derived from existing evidence.•Quality of care is the most critical factor in medical travel decision.•A comprehensive framework based on all findings and available evidence is proposed. Global medical travel has had an increasing trend without a comprehensive, evidence-driven policy to ensure safe and effective practice. To identify key factors that influence medical travel, we conducted a series of studies culminating with a preference and decision-making component of over 500 prospective medical travelers from a number of countries. Results indicated that quality of care was the most critical factor in the decision, followed by lower costs of procedure and shorter waiting times. Lower costs were less of a factor if the procedure was more invasive, which also increased the importance of waiting time in the decision. The most desired destinations for care were in Europe (United Kingdom, Germany) and North America (United States). Building on these insights and previous literature, we present a model that implements applications from these factors and additional insights generated across the series of studies toward an effective policy framework.
ISSN:0168-8510
1872-6054
DOI:10.1016/j.healthpol.2018.09.017