Medical Tourist Survey 2008

The motivations and experiences of 648 medical tourists

Intuition Communication Ltd 2008

Contents
1

Reason for study ......................................................................................................... 5

Methodology ............................................................................................................... 6
Research tool .............................................................................................................. 6
Attracting participants into the study.............................................................................. 6
Sample bias ................................................................................................................ 6

Results of the survey ................................................................................................... 7

Demographics of medical tourists ..................................................................................... 7
Sex ............................................................................................................................ 7
Age breakdown ........................................................................................................... 7
Place of permanent residence ....................................................................................... 8
Where did they go?......................................................................................................... 8
Treatment type ............................................................................................................ 10
Reasons for travelling abroad for treatment ..................................................................... 10
Key drivers for all medical tourists ............................................................................... 10
Key drivers for dental treatment abroad ....................................................................... 11
Key drivers for cosmetic surgery abroad ....................................................................... 11
Key drivers for surgery and scans abroad ..................................................................... 12
Key drivers for infertility treatment abroad.................................................................... 12
How people arranged their treatment .............................................................................. 13
Source of information about treatment abroad ................................................................. 13
Initial contact with service provider ................................................................................. 14
Expenditure on treatment .............................................................................................. 14
Expenditure on the total medical tourism package ......................................................... 15
Estimated savings on treatment abroad ........................................................................... 16
Duration of trip............................................................................................................. 16
Choice of healthcare provider ......................................................................................... 17
Patient satisfaction levels ............................................................................................... 18
Communication and language problems .......................................................................... 18
Response to follow-up questions .................................................................................... 18
Willingness to repeat the experience ............................................................................... 19

TREATMENT ABROAD: MEDICAL TOURISM PATIENT SURVEY 2007

Willingness to use the same service again ....................................................................... 19

Willingness to recommend the service to others ............................................................... 19
Level of satisfaction with aspects of their treatment .......................................................... 20
4

Appendix 1: Invitation to participate ............................................................................ 21

Appendix 2: Verbatim responses ................................................................................. 22

Reasons for going abroad .............................................................................................. 22
Reasons for choosing .................................................................................................... 31
Communication or language difficulties ........................................................................... 40
Positive responses ..................................................................................................... 40
Neutral/Some problems .............................................................................................. 43
Negative responses .................................................................................................... 44
Handling of queries after the visit ................................................................................... 46
Positive responses ..................................................................................................... 46
Neutral responses ...................................................................................................... 48
Negative responses. ................................................................................................... 50
Additional comments on the experience .......................................................................... 51
Positive comments ..................................................................................................... 51
Neutral comments ..................................................................................................... 62
Negative comments ................................................................................................... 63

Reasons for dissatisfaction .......................................................................................... 65

Positive responses ..................................................................................................... 65
Negative responses .................................................................................................... 65
What treatment or operation did you have abroad? .......................................................... 68

Who to contact .......................................................................................................... 75

TREATMENT ABROAD: MEDICAL TOURISM PATIENT SURVEY 2007

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HERTS HP4 2UB T: 0870 777 0401 F: 01442 817818

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