VitalLife, a subsidiary of Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand, offers an array of treatments that cut across pharmacologic treatments and wellness strategies to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. VitalLife offers a range of treatments that cut across personalized medicine and individualized lifestyle and behavioral changes.

As the world becomes smaller and people from different cultural backgrounds connect and transact, there Is a need for medical providers and medical travel businesses to recognize the cultural lines that distinguish people and ensure they remodel their operations to accommodate these differences and boost their patient experience, thereby.

The Future of Medical Tourism, arguably the most successful and well-attended webinar organized by the Medical Tourism Association, with over 600 registered industry stakeholders from across the globe, featured insightful takes and discussions about the future of medical travel, the paradigm shifts disrupting the industry, and the challenges that lie ahead.

South Korea is in the spotlight, as many American health payers are paying attention to Korea’s advances in medicine and robust medical travel opportunities. South Korea has been a leading player in the medical tourism industry over the last decade, with more than 400,000 foreign patients yearly visiting the country for medical treatment. As health payers seeking alternatives to expensive U.S. healthcare began to think outside the box for opportunities beyond the border, they began to uncover the goldmine that is Korea’s medical system.

The dynamics of medical travel have changed since the pandemic eased. With evolving patient demands, medical travel businesses and programs are transforming their models to adapt to the changing business climate and meet these new demands. One important area that is often overlooked is staff training.

Marketing is a critical component of most businesses; whether or not your organization offers high-quality products or services, your client volume and overall success depend, in a large measure, on the quality and effectiveness of your marketing strategies. The pattern is similar in medical travel. With shifting paradigms in patient expectations and choices for medical travel destinations, medical tourism and health tourism organizations need to rethink strategies to enhance their brands and visibility and improve how they communicate their offerings

Telemedicine no doubt has become a catalyst for improved patient outcomes and healthcare cost savings, but there are still factors that preclude its optimal use by patients. Healthcare providers and tech vendors need to understand how medical travel patients want digitalized patient care delivered to create models they can easily engage with. With these barriers addressed, telemedicine can reach its potential as a lever for achieving equitable distribution of healthcare resources and, in turn, a better healthcare experience.

On October 5, 2022, the World Health Organization issued a global alert on four contaminated medicines after they were linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children in The Gambia. The cough syrups, which had been imported from India, caused fatal acute kidney failure in the affected children in what seems to be one of the biggest death crises due to cough syrups imported from India.

Since medical travel resumed after flights were grounded and hospitals were shuttered for nearly two years due to the pandemic, the industry has not remained the same. Many innovative changes are shifting the paradigm in medical tourism as countries begin to expand their markets to meet global pent-up healthcare demands. 

Key into the Medical Travel Facilitator Certification to restructure your program and offer quality service to clients along the continuum of care

Dr. Najmabadi leads a team of highly trained specialists and medical staff in a renowned fertility center located on the luxurious Punta Mita peninsula on the north end of the Banderas bay in the Mexican state of Nayarit

Dr. José Luis Rivas Aguilar is changing the game in assisted reproduction and fertility science with his expertise and robust research in the field. Currently, the General Director of the renowned Punta Mita Fertility Center, Dr. Rivas is leaving no stone unturned in delivering top-notch fertility and reproductive treatments for patients with the most up-to-date knowledge and technologies.

Healthcare costs are raging in America, and the average household can not keep up any longer. Currently, healthcare cost in the U.S. is growing 1.1% faster than the GDP, it's only a matter of time before this crisis begins to efface people’s access to healthcare.

This exclusive and private B2B event organized by the Korean Tourism Association and the Medical Tourism Association will bring together American insurance companies, employers, insurance agents and consultants, travel agents, and others already actively engaged in medical tourism or looking to do so

The medical travel patient experience starts with you. With the Certified Medical Travel Professional program, become a highly valuable and recognized expert in the industry, providing relevant and exceptional solutions for medical tourists at each touchpoint of the medical travel patient care journey.

Healthcare providers might have the best intentions but may not understand the dynamics of the medical travel space and the market reshaping and remodeling they may require to be a top-choice destination for traveling patients and other international payers. To bridge this gap, Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) has launched HealthStars EXCELerator, a solution designed to accelerate innovation and maximize a business’s opportunity for success in the global healthcare space.

Punta Mita Hospital has positioned itself as a center of excellence for quality and affordable diagnostic and therapeutic fertility services. Fortified with a superb medical tourism package, the Punta Mita Hospital is always at the service of international clients from anywhere in the world, ready to create a wholesome medical travel experience for health seekers from departure to discharge.

Technology is advancing swiftly and revolutionizing human interactions. Since the Facebook transformation to incorporate advanced VR technologies, known as the metaverse, into the social media platform, healthcare stakeholders are also considering infusing VR into patient care, effectively combining virtual care into medical care. No doubt, this represents a new frontier in patient care, and one that could see potentially eliminate barriers to access to care, thereby, improving outcomes for patients and their providers. 

Expect in the future an increasing number of patients to look for accreditation or certification as the determinant in selecting a medical travel agent. Certification assures patients that a facilitator has been vetted by a globally recognized third-party accreditor, affirming that the facilitator has the required protocols, processes, and staff training to deliver a safe and high-quality treatment journey and experience.

Since May 2022, cases of monkeypox have been reported in countries where the infection is not endemic, including parts of Europe and the United States. Although cases of the infection are shown to be dropping, it is still very much around. In this webinar, Heather Saunders, a registered nurse and infectious disease expert and researcher at Johns Hopkins University, and Claudia Jorgenson, Director of Clinical Operations at the Global Healthcare Accreditation, shares important information about monkeypox and the current outbreak.

ARSA is an alliance of likeminded practitioners with the highest clinical standards and shared resources that offer economies of scale. Our reconstructive and cosmetic surgeons benefit from an adaptive business environment with infrastructure, marketing, and the level of excellence which enables them to concentrate on the business of providing extraordinary clinical services. They are empowered to focus unencumbered – on doing their best work for what matters most...the patient.

In this interview, Dr. Ariel Ortiz, Medical Director of the Center, discusses his contributions to the field of bariatric surgery, the rise of bariatric surgery services for international patients, and how accreditation has set the center’s medical tourism program apart and built trust with local patients and medical tourists from around the world.

The world’s first metaverse hospital is set to be launched by the Thumbay Group in UAE this October to further blur the boundaries of access to healthcare around the world. 

In this interview with the Medical Tourism Magazine recently, Juan Luis Giraldo, MD, Medical Director of Inser Group, one of the leading fertility treatment providers in Latin America, speaks about how the company is expanding its frontiers and driving growth in fertility travel. 

Trust is the new metric for the new normal of medical travel. If a health buyer or payer does not entrust their overall health - mental, physical, and emotional - to your hands during the entire care continuum, they will not be scheduling that flight to your destination

For many cancer survivors, the hurdle does not stop at the last course of cancer treatment; hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt will leave survivors and even those receiving ongoing treatment living on the edge when all is said and done.

The rules are gradually changing for medical travel, and as the industry stages a comeback after the dark years of the pandemic, medical programs that have a third-party validation of their policies, procedures, and processes will see a greater long-term sustainable growth in medical travel, as medical travelers have now experienced a paradigm shift in what they consider to be “health.” Stakeholders must keep adapting to these changes and position themselves to be key players in the industry or lose out to those who do.

The Medical Tourism Magazine sat down recently with Dr. Andrea Maggioni, a Pediatrician and Director of Global Health at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (formerly Miami Children's Hospital) to discuss his experience building the global medical travel program for Nicklaus Children's Hospital and how the program has become a major player in the industry. Dr. Maggioni also shares insights into the value of the Global Healthcare Accreditation for the global healthcare program and how it has fostered trust and credibility.

The Medical Tourism Magazine (MTM) had the privilege to sit down to get some insights from Heitham Hassoun MD, Cedars-Sinai Vice President and Medical Director of International Health, and Shoma Desai, MD, International Patient Services Director. They shared their thoughts and insights into what a post-pandemic world holds for medical tourism, what makes Cedars-Sinai unique, and how the Global Healthcare Accreditation for Medical Travel Services has assisted the organization in building patient trust.

Experts have predicted significant volatility in healthcare costs in 2022 and beyond as a result of the impact of the pandemic not only on the economy but also on overall health. Therefore, organizations and individuals need to be prepared for the sticker shock and implement cost-saving strategies

Safety is the new watchword for any business looking to operate successfully in the new normal. Given its crucial position in the global scene, medical travel programs must remodel their operations to prioritize safety.

Although the coronavirus pandemic is almost over and international borders are nearly fully open, there’s still work to be done. Medical travel programs need to develop and upscale surge capacities, strategies, and resources to prepare for future pandemics.

The coronavirus pandemic has induced a shift in healthcare needs that wlll disrupt the medical tourism ecosystem. New strategies are therefore needed to meet the new metrics of success in medical tourism

While vaccine passes may spur medical travel recovery, without addressing the myriad of problems associated with them, the move may prove to be counterintuitive, disrupting the medical tourism ecosystem

A West Lothian dad, who is raising thousands of pounds to take his daughter abroad for specialist treatment after she was told she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, has been offered a discount by a top doctor.

Cleveland Clinic has been awarded “Accreditation with Excellence” for its medical travel services by Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) for a second consecutive term.‍

Vaccine supply mismatch has created a huge demand for COVID-19 vaccines in many low and middle-income countries. Consequently, this has spurred tourism stakeholders to launch “vaccine packages” not only to provide swift vaccinations but also to revive inbound tourism. 

Contracting healthcare to Centers of Excellence is not a new model, employers have been leveraging these programs to provide quality healthcare at lower costs to their employees. However, with the economic downturn and pent-up demand for healthcare triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the paradigm of health will shift toward this model - more self-funded employers will adopt this healthcare plan to minimize healthcare spendings while optimizing clinical outcomes for their employees

As lockdown restrictions are being lifted across the globe, travel is gradually recovering, but with lessons learned that may stay that way for years to come. The pandemic will usher in a new normal for the travel industry, one that will prioritize health, safety, and sustainability. 

Telemedicine has proven to be an effective and safe platform for doctors to reach patients during this global crisis, with the potential to ramp up diagnostic and treatment services as the world battles with the pandemic

Even though the pandemic remains under control in most parts of Southeast Asia, the erratic nature of the infection has discouraged authorities from opening up their borders and also dissuaded patients from visiting medical travel destinations still battling with the pandemic

These new travel restrictions may linger until scientists better understand how these variants behave and find effective therapeutic and preventive interventions against them

N95 masks offer the highest level of respiratory protection by face coverings - filtering out up to 95% of the tiniest infectious particles. Global Healthcare Resources has found a way for everyone to access N95’s in small quantities and at affordable costs

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, has been awarded Accreditation for a three-year term by the Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) Program for its Medical Travel Services Program.

With the pandemic restrictions creating pent-up demand for elective procedures, more employees are willing to explore medical travel in countries like Korea to access safe and affordable healthcare.

While scientists continue to investigate and seek a better understanding of ivermectin and its use in COVID-19, emerging results have been promising.

In one of the swiftest vaccine developments in history, global teams of drugmakers, researchers, and scientists laid the groundwork that spurred the production of vaccines to end the coronavirus pandemic.

Stem cell therapy offers a promising treatment approach to COVID-19 due to their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties.

The challenges posed by the pandemic accelerated the paradigm shift in healthcare, speeding up the integration of digital healthcare solutions to bridge the gaps in patient care and those induced by the health crisis.

The UAE government swiftly pivoted strategies to curb the further spread of the virus and promote an early recovery of the industry.

As travel is slowly returning to normal, medical travelers have new expectations from a medical tourist destination - these patients now not only seek quality and affordability of medical care but also a medical travel destination that has put in place adequate measures to safeguard their health, given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions of Americans keep traveling every year to access quality and timely healthcare at a fraction of a cost in the US. But as the pandemic dealt a blow to the travel industry, the number dwindled substantially, raising a lot of uncertainty about the future of health travel in the country.

Destinations such as Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic became the major players in the region’s medical travel business, attracting hundreds of thousands of medical tourists to the continent every year. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it dealt a strong blow to the burgeoning industry that might take years to recover from.

The coronavirus has upended every aspect of life and heightened mental health concerns for most people. Given this, many people now desire to take wellness trips to renew their mental, spiritual, and physical wellbeing when the crisis is over.

Tech companies have developed a wide range of applications and use cases of the technology in combating the numerous challenges caused by the pandemic.

As the coronavirus pandemic led to widespread economic closures, movement restrictions, travel bans, and changing consumer behaviors, the travel vaccine industry has also had its share of the global downturn.

The medical tourism industry has been the hardest-hit by the global economic slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Stakeholders are now uncertain of what lies ahead.

At the start of 2020, Medical Data Forecast released a report that predicted massive growth of medical tourism in Europe, however, the coronavirus pandemic has upended this trajectory this trajectory

Although the COVID-19 pandemic stretched healthcare beyond its limits and has significantly shrunken revenue for healthcare institutions, it has stirred new patient care models and approaches that improve healthcare delivery while keeping providers and patients safe

An updated Medical Tourism Index lays out the international terrain for health travel, but the impact of COVID-19 on such a global industry remains to be seen.

Medical Tourism Association (MTA) partners with Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) as South Korea extends high complexity medical services to international patients at a pivotal COVID-19 transition point.

To accelerate the digital transformation of healthcare in the UAE, key players have built a blockchain-powered portal that concentrates all health data in one secure system accessible by authorized members of the chain

The Trump administration is imposing a new visa policy restricting foreign nationals from giving birth in the US so their children can become American citizens, a practice that has been termed “birth tourism”. This new rule, which takes effect on Friday January 24, is one of President Donald Trump’s prime political concerns.

Vincenzo, 22, an Italian man who was born with an extremely rare condition called arthrogryposis shares his experience with the disease and his treatment journey at the Paley Institute.

Malaysia is building many centers of excellence like these and harnessing advanced technologies that will see the country be a game-changer in the medical tourism market

The pain from arthritis could be extremely unbearable, with most days seeing patients finding it increasingly difficult to carry out everyday tasks.

A few years ago, Chinese tourists traveled in their thousands to Japan for what was described as explosive shopping sprees. Fast forward several years later, Chinese tourists are still flying to Japan but this time largely for a different reason - medical care.

A few years after the Zika epidemic was stopped in its tracks, the ghost of it still lingers, influencing where we travel to for holidays or health tourism, especially for people who bore the brunt of its effects when it broke out - Women.

A private hospital on Hainan Island has been forced to shut down operations after local authorities found it gave fake human papillomaviruses (HPV) vaccines to dozens of patients, including at least one pregnant woman

On April 25, 2019, Belgium's primary legislative body passed a new bill that criminalizes all activities involved in buying and selling of human organs for commercial uses

In what has been aptly described as “the shadow world of medicine,” transplant tourism poses great health and ethical burden, with attendant risks of severe infectious diseases and the dehumanizing nature of the act

Medical Tourism Magazine recently sat with Maxwell Cohen, Founder and CEO of Peel Away Labs, to talk about his product, ‘peel-away’ bedsheets, and how it can revolutionize healthcare.

Population health management refers to the proactive application of interventions and strategies for promoting good health. PHM is growing in significance with the paradigm shift in resource allocation in hospitals and reimbursement strategies.

Digital revolution is considered as the fourth industrial revolution and has seen increased investment over the last few years. With the current trend in connected healthcare, widespread use of technology-enabled healthcare will make this idea.

GDPR is due to take effect and there have been many concerns and uncertainties as how much the EU regulation will get affected. The GDPR is a regulation that was approved by the EU after four years of strong deliberation.

Recently, advancement in technology has gained a massive entry into the healthcare scene with tech companies revolutionizing health. Healthcare is getting more investments as healthcare providers and insurers are using tech to make efficient healthcare delivery.

Social media can help build or break the online reputation of a tourist site as a poor review would leave a negative impression. Stakeholders in medical tourism are starting to employ the social media market to its full potential.

As the healthcare costs are rising and plans stiffing, employers are seeking out ways to lower costs of healthcare plans. One strategy to do is by direct contracting between employers and centers of excellence.

Branding will play a crucial role in the future of telemedicine, genomics medicine, stem cell treatments, and other developments. The brand reflects reputation, the uniqueness of its product or services, customer rating, values, price, and customer care.

Healthcare is going Uber's way of providing user-centered medical treatment options which lower costs and save consumer's time. Technology companies are disrupting the scene in healthcare, telemedicine is about the new UBER in healthcare delivery.

The industry of health tourism is driven by the quality of care, and it includes medical treatment provided to each patient. To boost patient experience, one must consider all the processes involved in scheduling the visit, the treatment and recovery period.

In this global medical tourism industry, to increase a country's stake in the market is the quality of healthcare infrastructure. The competition for international patients has heated on as governments, and private groups identifying essential markets.

These days millions of patients are traveling from home to other destinations to seek affordable and better healthcare. Top procedures medical tourists travel for include cosmetic surgery, dental care, cardiac surgical procedures, cancer care, etc.

International patient referral constitutes a major channel for health travel between different parts of the world. Hospitals partner with public or private healthcare groups or public healthcare ministries between countries allows patients to receive healthcare services in partner hospitals.

Employees have realized that seeking healthcare services abroad is more cost-effective than seeking same services at home. This is such that even after factoring in travel expenses, accommodation, and sick days off work, patients still get to save more money.

Attracting international patients is at the core of medical tourism and the industry is becoming more competitive each day. Marketing is the central factor for success in the health tourism industry, and hospital with marketing influx receiving more leads.

The Medical Tourism Association is the global trade association for medical tourism and travel.The association works with governments, hospitals, insurers and medical tourism players in over 100 countries.