QCOSTARICA – Healthcare seekers contemplating value-based treatment overseas and looking for just the right destination should know that Canada, the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore and Costa Rica are among the most attractive destinations for medical tourism in 2014.
This according to the global index published by the International Healthcare Research Center (IHRC), the Medical Tourism Association.
The Medical Tourism Index (MTI), which measures the attractiveness of a country for medical travel along three key dimensions and 34 underlying criteria, concluded that Canada topped the lists for “Country Environment” and “Medical Tourism Costs”; Costa Rica for “Destination Attractiveness”; and Israel for “Medical Facility and Service.”
The MTI notes that that medical travel to Italy, South Korea, Spain, Colombia, and Dubai, are gaining appeal.
This MTI came as a result of a survey of 5,000 Americans. IHRC has not yet revealed the next consumer market to be surveyed.
“This tool makes a significant contribution to provide unbiased information about medical tourism across the globe,” said Renée-Marie Stephano, President of the Medical Tourism Association, during a speaking engagement in Dubai.
“This information provides not only what patients need to know when planning a medical journey overseas, but is a valuable tool for governments, employers and insurance companies, hospitals and doctors, facilitators and related travel and hospitality industries throughout the world to determine their effectiveness at marketing destinations for healthcare.”
The 2014 Medical Tourism Index considered 30 countries – about 60 percent of the world’s population — from Africa, Asia, Central America, Middle East, South America and North America.
Source : Medical Tourism Association
