Health Tourism

The main educational goal of Module I is to accouter participants with all necessary skills to understand and familiarize with the elements of medical and health tourism industry and the services context of the two sectors. Through Module One, the medical tourism coordinator will be guided to assess opportunities and risks that may be encountered in the direction of launching related business activities.

In the frame of Module I, definitions and basic elements of Health and Medical Tourism industry are being explained. Basic services provided in Medical Tourism are, also, examined as well as the main drivers and benefits of Medical Tourism evolvement in the global market setting. In the second chapter, risks and opportunities are being discussed for inbound and outbound countries whereas in the third chapter, an analytical description of barriers, challenges and opportunities in the sector, are provided in the frame of open discussion and role playing activities. Main strategies that have been established, worldwide, by the different countries considered as “key players” in Medical Tourism, are explicitly presented. Trainees will indulge in the examination of basic principles of global healthcare services’ provision and especially in the areas that need to be specially considered by the medical tourist. In addition, information regarding national and international organizations dealing with Medical Tourism segment will be a useful tool for the professionals to build on the experience that already exists and design a service model that not only complies with international regulations but also will be subject to continuous improvements.

The training program of Professional Specialization for Medical Tourism Coordinators has as a core value that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being. Moreover, the right to health should be enjoyed without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.

The above acceptances drive us to the conclusion that the full enjoyment of the right to health and its manifestations, in the area of medical tourism industry, primary requires the knowledge and understanding of legal regulations and ethics. Apart from that, medical tourism coordinators have to be adapted to the concepts of cultural sensitivity and multiculturalism, as well as to business methods, physical environment and existed customer service and ethical protocols.

Specifically, Module II holds a vital role in the MTC curriculum by providing the necessary knowledge about the legal and ethical principles in medical services. The training corpus of Module II, mainly, includes the international regulations and EU law related to medical services and tourism, patients’ rights, freedom of movement, types of ethics, basis of a legal claim, jurisdictional matters, medical liability rules, medical malpractice and negligence, standard of care, causation and informed consent of the patients.

After the legal and ethical analysis, Module II moves a step forward by examining the existed relation between high standard health care and the understanding and respect of cultural and ethnic particularities of medical travellers. Under the spectrum of cultural sensitivity, notions such as religion, cultural intelligence, multiculturalism, spirituality, stereotypes and generalizations are thoroughly analyzed. Additionally, a comprehensive catalogue of cultural and religious information about medical travellers’ background is provided.

Conclusively, the training program, via Module II, has as principal objective to teach medical tourism coordinators to serve high quality medical care services by respecting the ethical principles and the fundamental rights of medical travellers. After the completion of the training program, medical tourism coordinators will be capable to establish proper cooperation frames and contractual agreements and, furthermore maintain effective medical services for the attainment of the highest possible level of health care of medical travelers.

Medical Terminology Module contributes to Medical Facilitator’s full training regarding the necessary English medical and healthcare terminology so that the professionals will be able to provide essential support to Medical Tourists’ communicational issues. Module III addresses to trainees who wish to enrich their knowledge in English and broaden their communicative skills regarding the use of terminology related to medical and healthcare services.

Furthermore, the current module analyzes not only terminology topics but also communicational dimensions and methodologies. Texts and vocabulary related to Hospital Staff, Hospital departments and equipment as well as Medical Tourism services is presented in an interactive way promoting participation and involvement of the attendees (topics and terms which are discussed, are specially used in patients’ dialogues and reporting, dental care, cosmetic surgery, rehabilitation- geriatric sector, eye surgery, fertility treatments e.tc.). In addition, verbal and non-verbal communication among patients, relatives, doctors and medical coordinators is emphasized. The whole Module is presented in English and the trainees have the opportunity to practice their communicational skills in English through reading comprehension, vocabulary enrichment, listening and oral communication always focusing at medical coordinators’ communication. Moreover, extra material, which includes the basic vocabulary taught during the training, is provided.

By completing this session, the trainees are able to cope with the daily communication challenges concerning international patients, medical tourists, to communicate with patients and their accompanying persons in English and to effectively adjust their verbal communication at relevant incidents.

Chapter 4A: Health tourism – Medical tourism coordination

The main scope of Module IV is to provide the basic knowledge to the participants regarding factors that affect Medical Tourism stakeholders’ ‘ecosystem’, including the main attributes of patients’ care cycle, pre-travel services and requirements that have to be fulfilled by a healthcare facility to effectively serve their international patients. During this session, the trainees will acquire the basic skills to realize the role and responsibilities of Medical Tourism coordinators and, furthermore, acquire knowledge on how to start their own business. Advantages and their actual part in tourism industry along with their business startup and workflows are, also, explained. In the third chapter the basic needs of health tourists are presented. International patients’ safety goals, best practices in accommodation and the types of complementary services are some of its main topics. Effective medical tourism services, obviously, require knowledge to serve sensitive customers with specific healthcare needs. Finally, quality and safety assurance issues for health/medical tourists are discussed and relevant methodologies are taught such as risk assessment, quality management and available accreditation standards, outcomes’ measurements and monitoring methods.

Having completed Module IV-part A, the trainees will be able to explicitly explain dimensions and tangibles of the Medical Tourism industry and apply this knowledge in order to help their customers to schedule and go through all relevant procedures during their medical travel. The trainees will be in addition, aware of the basic safety principles applying to the medical tourists’ services under the precondition that the provision of health services is personalized and should be adapted to each patient’s needs in accordance to safety risks’ management principles.

Chapter 4B: Marketing and promotional strategies in health / medical tourism

Part B of Module IV focuses on marketing techniques for Medical Tourism Coordinator, and on business development and activation. Initially, the philosophy of modern marketing is presented, highlighting the holistic approach that can deliver superior value to the targeted customers. By implementing the prompt marketing concept the medical tourism professionals are able to promote enterprise goals for exceeding customer needs in an effective way. Healthcare services’ marketing is specifically explained through its elements such as communication with stakeholders, focus on the real needs and desires of the client or market and, finally, goals’ definition with regards to the healthcare outcome. A successful marketing strategy requires tactics to influence the target markets by applying the 4P method whilst Medical Tourism requires a more extended strategy, the 7P. Successful purchase strategies are analyzed along with cooperation principles, as well as developmental strategies and other useful tools such as, SWOT analyses, Porters model, Lehmann and Winer’s Levels of Competition Models, Mintzbergss and van der Heyden’s Organigraph.

The main educational goal of Module IV-Part b is to provide the essential knowledge basis of modern marketing principles that differ a lot from the traditional marketing tools. This means that a coordinator should be able to adjust his/her skills in the field of healthcare marketing where service provision is individual and should satisfy the special needs of each customer. Marketing is not an activity exclusively using knowledge but requires the application of relevant tools in the market along with information transfer and adjustment techniques whenever needed. In this context, it is very important that the trainees become familiar with the procedure of analyzing data with the use of competitive tools in order to evaluate their service packages and compare it to competitors’ services. Consequently, the coordinator should provide the right ‘service package’ – product at the right price, timely and at the prompt healthcare setting.

Having acquired the basic principles of marketing trends, the coordinator will be ready to carve out, an own strategy in order to promote his services, globally, in an effective way.