Four Technological Advancements That Could Change the Medical Tourism Landscape as We Know It

Medical tourism is not a recent phenomenon. From the time of the Sumerians (circa 4000 BC), who constructed the earliest known health complexes that were built around hot springs, to the 18th and 19th centuries when Europeans and Americans travelled to remote areas with health retreats to find cures for tuberculosis, quality healthcare – wherever it could be found — has been a common pursuit. Fast-forward to 1997, when the Asian economic crisis and the collapse of Asian currencies prompted government officials in these nations to market premiere destinations for international healthcare, at a fraction of what Western countries could offer.

Traditional models that depended on cost arbitrage, reduced waiting times, a highly skilled and English-speaking healthcare workforce, and interventional government policies have helped emerging Asian nations, as well as certain South American countries, such as Brazil and Mexico, to attract healthcare tourists from the United States, Canada and Europe.

What will fuel the next wave of growth in medical travel? Technology-enabled healthcare practices.