Medical tourism research: A conceptual framework of emerging business strategies in healthcare industry
Malaysia is in the progress of diversifying its economic activities towards a service-based economy to create highly payable jobs and to achieve a developed nation status by 2020. At the same time, the world had recognized healthcare sector as a highly potential global industry Therefore, based o...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.usm.my/35022/1/HBP37.pdf http://eprints.usm.my/35022/ |
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| Summary: | Malaysia is in the progress of diversifying its economic activities towards a
service-based economy to create highly payable jobs and to achieve a
developed nation status by 2020. At the same time, the world had recognized
healthcare sector as a highly potential global industry Therefore, based on
the available resources in the country and the changing trend of the world
economy, Malaysia noticeably recognizing healthcare travel as one of the
new source of sustainable economic activity. Malaysia’s effort in promoting
medical tourism industry is being materialized through the strategies
adopted by the healthcare centers in the country. Looking into this
opportunity, academic research is needed to device strategies to gain
competitive advantage in medical tourism industry in the region. Therefore,
the purpose of the study is to examine the factors that contribute to the
growth of the medical tourism industry in Malaysia by studying the medical
tourists’ satisfaction from the aspects of medical cost, quality healthcare
services, specialist medical services, government regulations and
contribution of medical tourism agents. Medical cost, quality healthcare
services and specialist medical services are identified as internal factors
within the control of the healthcare centers. Government regulations and
contribution of medical tourism agents are defined as the external factors
that are not regulated by the healthcare providers. This study is designed to
see the relationship between internal factors and external factors on medical
tourists’ satisfaction using resource based view (RBV) theory and adopting
Porter’s Competitive Advantage Model. The practical implication of the
study is focused to the management of the international healthcare providers
in adopting strategies in achieving greater medical tourists’ satisfaction. |
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