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Children travelling for treatment: what we don't know

Lorraine Culley1, Nicky Hudson, Kylie Baldwin

  • 1Faulty of Health and Life Sciences, School of Applied Social Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|April 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Child medical travel is a growing phenomenon with limited research. This study reviews literature on pediatric medical travel and return health migration among UK ethnic minorities, proposing future research directions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Healthcare
  • Medical Sociology
  • Public Health Policy

Background:

  • Medical tourism is increasing globally.
  • There is a significant knowledge gap regarding the extent and nature of child medical travel.
  • Understanding child medical travel is crucial for equitable healthcare access.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the academic literature on pediatric medical travel.
  • To explore the implications of 'return health migration' for minority ethnic groups in the UK.
  • To propose a future research agenda for multidisciplinary studies in this field.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search for academic publications on pediatric medical travel.
  • Analysis of existing research to identify trends and gaps.
  • Conceptualization of 'return health migration' within the UK context.

Main Results:

  • The current body of academic literature on child medical travel is limited.
  • Return health migration may be a significant factor for minority ethnic families in the UK seeking healthcare.
  • Key research gaps include the scale, motivations, and outcomes of child medical travel.

Conclusions:

  • Further multidisciplinary research is essential to understand child medical travel.
  • Addressing the needs of minority ethnic groups requires specific attention to return health migration.
  • Developing targeted policies and support systems is necessary for children undergoing medical travel.

Keywords:
child medical tourismmedical tourismmedical travelpaediatric medical tourism

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