Applying the Modified Health Belief Model (HBM) to Korean Medical Tourism

Area of Science:

• Medical Tourism
• Health Beliefs
• Consumer Behavior

Background:

• Medical tourism is a growing global industry.
• Understanding traveler motivations is crucial for destination marketing.
• Foreigners' perceptions of health influence their international healthcare choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of health beliefs on foreigners' intentions to visit Korea for medical tourism.
• To identify specific health belief dimensions that affect medical tourism decisions.
• To validate a measurement model for "Visiting Intention" in the context of Korean medical tourism.

Main Methods:

• Online survey distributed to potential medical tourists from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Mongolia.
• Data collected from 200 participants out of 213 questionnaires.
• Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) used to assess construct validity of health belief dimensions and visiting intention.

Main Results:

• Six dimensions (Experience, Susceptibility, Severity, Barrier, Benefit, Visiting Intention) demonstrated construct validity.
• Susceptibility, Severity, Barrier, and Benefit significantly influenced Visiting Intention.
• The Health Belief Model (HBM) variables were validated as significant predictors of Korean medical tourism choices.

Conclusions:

• Health beliefs, particularly perceived susceptibility, severity, barriers, and benefits, are critical determinants of foreigners' visiting intentions for Korean medical tourism.
• The study provides a validated framework for understanding and potentially influencing medical tourist decisions.
• Findings can inform targeted marketing strategies for Korean medical tourism providers.