PROJECT TITLE: A STUDY ON THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY THE

MEDICAL TOURIST.

1. To identify the various gaps in the Value Chain by studying the process flows.

Medical tourism value chain consists of

 Pre procedure stage

 Procedure stage
 Post procedure stage

Pre procedure stage

In this first stage the tourist is typically engaged in navigating the process and arriving at a decision to
buy the procedure. A customer enters the procedure with search of relevant information from various
sources. However, given the complexity many customers prefer to use services of an intermediary
referred to as “medical facilitator”. Prime responsibility of the medical facilitator is to seamlessly
coordinate the outbound medical tourism programme.

Procedure stage

This is the key component of the medical tourism value chain. Procedure stage begins with patient
reaching the destination and hospitals/ service providers offering pickup facilities followed by pre-
counselling for treatment, necessary medical examinations required before the medical procedure.

Post procedure stage

Post procedure stage has two important components the post-operative care and follow-up care. The
post-operative care includes doctors’ visits and monitoring for complications, recuperation in hospital
and physical therapy, medical supplies, meals, post-operative recuperation in destination country but
outside the hospitals, etc. An important concern of medical tourist is the follow up care facilities long
after they have left the country of treatment. Normally there is a tie-up between the medical service
providers and doctors in the customers’ country who are responsible for follow up on behalf of service
provider.

2. Expectation Vs Experienced analysis for the stages (Pre procedural, Procedural

and Post Procedural).

Expectation- experience analysis for the pre procedure stage

The respondents’ opinion on expectation and experiences for important parameters like Low cost
of medical procedure ,Overall cost of travel and treatment ,Less wait time for treatment ,Destination
well connected to home country, Quality of medical procedure ,Competence of doctors and
 paramedical staffs ,Quality clinical infrastructure, Quality non clinical infrastructure ,Availability
of medical insurance ,Affordable cost of insurance, Availability of visa ,Help to finalize my travel
itinerary ,Pre-procedure documentation, Terms of payment are taken into consideration.

Expectation- experience analysis for the procedure stage.

The respondents’ opinion on expectation and experiences for important parameters like Swift
admission process, Coordination between different wards and departments, Knowledgeable and
skilful nursing staff, Quick and responsive nursing care staff etc…

What are the Major concerns of the medical tourists in the Post Procedural Stage?

Some of the factors like Quality of treatment, Ease of access, Connectivity, Cost of treatment Ease
of purchase can be taken into consideration.

3. SWOT analysis based on feedback on structured questionnaire, discussions with

administrators of hospitals, medical tour operators, customers and their accomplices.

STUDY THE OVERALL PROCESSES OF THE FOLLOWING STAGES IN THE

HOSPITAL AND GETTING THE RELEVANT INFORMATION FROM THE SERVICE
PROVIDERS AND FEEDBACKS FROM THE RESPONDENTS BASED ON A
STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE.