Mona Jalali, Elaheh Haghgoshayie, Ali Janati, Parisa Yoshari & Rahim Khodayari-Zarnaq
Abstract
Background
Affordable, high-quality medical services in developing countries are drawing increasing numbers of patients from developed nations. However, various barriers significantly impede the growth of medical tourism. This study delves into the barriers and facilitators influencing the development of health tourism, highlighting the complexities and potential solutions within this dynamic field.
Methods
A scoping review was conducted by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for relevant literature, which was then organized into a summary table. Data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis, following the Arksey and O’Malley protocol.
Results
The study analyzed 46 articles and identified eight key themes regarding barriers and facilitators in health tourism: Infrastructure Issues, Human Resources and Communication, Financial, Health Services and Hospital Infrastructure, Marketing Health Tourism, Stakeholder in Health Tourism, Legal and Government in Medical Tourism, and International Relations and Internal Security in Health Tourism.
Conclusions
Comprehensive planning for regional medical tourism industries is recommended, along with integrated authority assignment, service branding, quality improvement, and enhanced communication skills among medical staff.
Keywords
- Health tourism
- Medical tourism
- Barriers
- Facilitators
Cite: Jalali, M., Haghgoshayie, E., Janati, A. et al. Health tourism: a global perspective on the barriers and facilitators. Discov Public Health 22, 157 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00545-2
