Medical tourism in ophthalmology - review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Ophthalmology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Medical tourism has seen a documented rise in the past decade.
• Existing definitions often focus on the phenomenon rather than the patients.
• Discussions commonly center on motivation, procedures, and the tourism aspect.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on medical tourism within general healthcare.
• To specifically investigate medical tourism in the field of Ophthalmology.
• To evaluate the successful application of medical tourism principles in healthcare, with an emphasis on Ophthalmology services.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of medical tourism in healthcare services.
• Focused review of literature pertaining to Ophthalmology medical tourism.
• Assessment of the integration of medical tourism principles within these services.

Main Results:

• The study identified an upsurge in medical tourism documentation over the last decade.
• Definitions and discussions often lack a patient-centered approach.
• The application of medical tourism principles in healthcare, particularly Ophthalmology, requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• There is a growing body of literature on medical tourism.
• A more comprehensive understanding of medical tourism, including patient perspectives, is needed.
• Further research is necessary to confirm the effective implementation of medical tourism principles in Ophthalmology services.