Medical travel facilitators: connecting patients and providers in a globalized world

Abstract

International medical travel is a rapidly developing phenomenon that promises patients cheap and affordable medical care abroad. However, the logistics of making travel arrangements, selecting a medical provider, and evaluating quality can be a daunting task for even the most experienced traveler. At the nexus, connecting patients and providers are medical travel facilitators (MTFs), who are individuals and companies that market foreign medical care to patients. While the services that MTFs offer vary, they primarily focus on making foreign medical care more accessible to patients through commodifying the medical experience and providing logistical support. Although they are an important part of international medical travel they are often overlooked, especially along the US/Mexico border. This paper contributes to the discussion on medical travel by focusing on MTFs and the methods they employ through (1) discussing the characteristics and logistical challenges of medical travel; (2) identifying the different types of medical travel facilitators; and (3) addressing how MTFs remake patients into consumers. Findings suggest that while MTFs operate on a variety of different scales, and market their services differently, they all emphasize the consumer experience through advertising quality assurances and logistical support.

Keywords:

• medical anthropology
• Mexico
• medical travel
• medical travel facilitators

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the National Science Foundation Doctorial Dissertation Improvement Grant, ‘Motivations for Medical Migration in the United States/Mexico Borderlands’ (BCS-0848478). It was ethically approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The author has no conflict of interest.

Notes

1. During the review process it was suggested that more information about the border be included into the manuscript. However, because of space limitations the author was unable to discuss the regional importance of the US/Mexico border. However, a section on medical travel along the US/Mexico border was added to illustrate the importance of Mexico as a medical destination.

2. Another suggestion was made to compare medical tourism facilitators to companies that connect people through the internet such as dating services. While a very interesting idea, the limitations of this paper only extend to the different types of MTFs, how they market their services and how the US/Mexico border influences marketing strategies.