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Risks and Benefits of Medical Tourism in Terms of Quality of Life: Physical, Economic, Psychological and Social Aspects

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Handbook of Tourism and Quality-of-Life Research II

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life ((IHQL))

Abstract

Traveling to different destinations in terms of the utilization of medical facilities and activities is known as “medical tourism” in the literature. In this chapter, the maintenance of quality of life is discussed from medical, economic, legal, and ethical perspectives in the context of medical tourism. In terms of economic benefits, it saves a substantial amount of money for patients, preventing deterioration of their economic well-being. Medical tourism decreases the time between diagnoses to treatment by providing new locations for treatment while the country of origin’s capacity remains limited. In the case of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, waiting for medical operations and procedures can be demoralizing for both patients and family members. Through medical tourism, tourists save money and time which enhances their economic and psychological well-being as well as their health. We argue that medical tourism enhances the quality of life of both medical tourists and the local people of the host country. Health related and financial problems medical travel sometimes brings are also discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Economics & Administrative Sciences, Turkish German University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ruhet Genç

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  1. Ruhet Genç
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    Muzaffer Uysal

  2. Department of Marketing, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    M. Joseph Sirgy

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Genç, R. (2023). Risks and Benefits of Medical Tourism in Terms of Quality of Life: Physical, Economic, Psychological and Social Aspects. In: Uysal, M., Sirgy, M.J. (eds) Handbook of Tourism and Quality-of-Life Research II. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31513-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31513-8_13

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-31513-8

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