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Healthcare Management vocabulary · Health Systems and Governance

Medical tourism

Meaning in healthcare management, with examples

nounCommon term

In healthcare management, medical tourism means: Travelling to another country to receive medical treatment, often to save money, avoid waiting lists or see a particular specialist.

In Turkish: sağlık turizmi, medikal turizm

How it is used

'Health tourism' is also common, and in some contexts it also covers spa and wellness travel. Hospitals that serve foreign patients have international patient departments, interpreters and agreements with travel agencies. Turkey is a popular destination, especially for hair transplants and dental and eye treatment.

Example sentences

  1. Medical tourism now brings us around 3,000 patients a year from Europe and the Middle East.

  2. Our international patient office arranges visas, transfers and interpreters for medical tourism patients.

Common collocations

  • medical tourism industry
  • international patient department
  • health tourism
  • medical tourism destination
  • accreditationOfficial recognition by an independent body that a hospital or service meets agreed standards of quality and safety, given after a detailed assessment.
  • health insuranceA system or contract in which regular payments to a public fund or a company cover all or part of a person's medical costs.
  • patient experienceEverything patients go through and feel when they receive care, from booking and communication to cleanliness, dignity and the way staff treat them.

More terms: Health Systems and Governance

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.