Identifying and prioritizing the dimensions of medical tourism with emphasis on technological entrepreneurship

Abstract

Introduction: Medical tourism is one of the new fields of tourism that plays an important role in sustainable development and, according to international forecasts, will become the most profitable industry in the world. The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the dimensions of medical tourism with emphasis on technological entrepreneurship in Iran. Methods: In this applied research study, the quantitative method was used (Fuzzy Delphi and descriptive-analytical). In the first stage, to identify the indicators of medical tourism using the Fuzzy Delphi Method, the opinions of 41 experts, including faculty members, physicians, managers of medical and educational centers, and managers and experts in the field of medical tourism were sought. In the second stage, a questionnaire designed by experts to determine the status of the components of medical tourism was given to 136 experts of certified medical centers, which had international patients, and health tourism companies. The SPSS, LISREL and Expert Choice software were used to analyze the statistical data. Results: According to the experts, the most important dimensions of medical tourism included medical costs, quality and value creation of medical services, individual factors, government agents, informing medical tourists, medical staff attitude towards medical tourism, cultural factors, security issues, identifying group sections, and the conditions of the country. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the ten identified indicators were the most important dimensions of the medical tourism industry. It is obvious that the use of these dimensions can pave the way for those in charge of the medical tourism industry in creating and increasing revenue.