THE USE OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS IN HEALTH TOURISM IN TURKEY

An Erratum to this article was published on March 27, 2024. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijhmt/article/1460034

Abstract

Aim: In recent years, the digital communication for health tourism has gained undeniable importance in Turkey and all over the world. In tourism sector, the correct and effective use of digital tools that emerged with the advancement of technology both provides benefits for institutions and plays an effective role in the preferences and decisions of consumers. In this study, it was aimed to examine the corporate websites and social media accounts of 10 private hospitals operating in the region of Konya in Turkey, and to reach both domestic and international health tourists. Content analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the hospitals use social media tools effectively. In this context, general information about the hospital, applications, trust, general risks were gathered, as well as financial information and visuals on the website. Regarding social media accounts, the most shared contents on Instagram, retweeted on Twitter and liked on Facebook accounts were included. According to the results of the Aim: In recent years, the digital communication for health tourism has gained undeniable importance in Turkey and all over the world. In tourism sector, the correct and effective use of digital tools that emerged with the advancement of technology both provides benefits for institutions and plays an effective role in the preferences and decisions of consumers. In this study, it was aimed to examine the corporate websites and social media accounts of 10 private hospitals operating in the region of Konya in Turkey, and to reach both domestic and international health tourists. Content analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the hospitals use social media tools effectively. In this context, general information about the hospital, applications, trust, general risks were gathered, as well as financial information and visuals on the website. Regarding social media accounts, the most shared contents on Instagram, retweeted on Twitter and liked on Facebook accounts were included. According to the results of the

Keywords

• digital communication
• health communication
• health tourism

References

1. Aksoy, C. and Yılmaz, S., (2019). Criteria for Health Tourists to Prefer Hospitals: Managers Views, Journal of Health and Social Welfare Research, 1(2), 27-39.
2. Ankaya, F.Ü. and Aslan, B.G. (2020). Evaluation of Disabled Tourism Potential; World and Turkey Examples. National Journal of Environmental Science Research, 3(2), 52-57.
3. Aydın, O. (2012). An Alternative Tourism in Turkey; Health Tourism. Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Journal of Social and Economic Research, 14(23), 91-96.
4. Bayer, M.Z. (1992). Introduction to Tourism, Istanbul University Faculty of Business Publication: Istanbul.
5. Bennett, M., King, B. and Milner, N. (2004). The Health Resort Sector in Australia: A Positioning Study, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 10(2), 122-137. doi:10.1177/135676670401000203
6. Connell, J. (2006). Medical Tourism: Sea, Sun, Sand and Surgery. Tourism Management, 27(6), 1093-1100. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2005.11.005
7. Cook, Peta S. (2008) What is health and medical tourism? In: The annual conference of the Australian Sociological Association, 2 to 5 December 2008, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, s.1-13.
8. Crusher, S. (2020). Medical Tourism in Turkey. Comic Bookstore, 34.

9. Çiçek, R. and Avderen, S. (2013). A Research to Determine The Current Structure and Potential of Spa and Thermal Facilities in The Central Anatolia Region in Terms of Health Tourism. Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Journal of Social and Economic Research, (2), 25-35.
10. Dülgaroğlu, O. (2021). Digitalization in Tourism: Smart Tourism Applications, Digital Tourism and Tourism 4.0. Journal of Tourism and Management, 2(1), 01-15. doi:10.29329/jtm.2021.421.1
11. Edinsel, S. and Adıgüzel, O. (2014). Turkey's Position and Developments in Health Tourism Within The World Countries in The Last Five Years, Journal of Çankırı Karatekin University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 4(2), 167-190.
12. Ercan, F. (2020). Big Data Use in Smart Tourism: A Systematic Review. OPUS International Journal of Society Studies, 16(32), 5230-5249. doi:10.26466/opus.780017
13. Göde, A., Yorulmaz, M. and Aydoğdu, A. (2021). Investigation of the Websites of Agencies Eligible for Health Tourism Authorization Certificate, Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Journal of Social and Economic Research, 23(41), 208-224
14. Guttentag, D.A. (2010). Virtual Reality: Applications and Implications for Tourism. Tourism Management, 31(5), 637-651. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2009.07.003
15. Guttentag, D.A. (2015). Airbnb: Disruptive Innovation and The Rise of An Informal Tourism Accommodation Sector. Current Issues in Tourism, 18(12), 1192-1217. doi:10.1080/13683500.2013.827159
16. Güler, H.N. (2021). Examination of Communications of Private Hospitals for Human Resources on Web Sites. Journal of Economics, Business and Finance Studies, 3(2), 156-166. doi:10.38009/ekimad.936165
17. Happ, E. and Ivancso-Horvath, Z. (2018). Digital Tourism is the Challenge of Future a New Approach to Tourism. Knowledge Horizons-Economics, 10(2), 9-16.
18. Henderson, J.C. (2004). Paradigm Shifts: National Tourism Organizations and Education and Healthcare Tourism. The Case of Singapore, Tourism And Hospitality Research, 5(2), 170- 180. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.thr.6040016
19. Howze, K.S. (2007). Note: Medical Tourism: Symptom or Cure?, Georgia Law Review, 41(3), 1013–51.
20. Iordoche, C., Ciochina, I. and Roxana, P. (2013). Medical Tourism-Between The Content and Socio-Economic Development Goals, Development Strategies, RRM-1, 31-42.
21. İnce, İ. and Doğantan, E. (2020). Digital Marketing From the Perspective of Hotel Managers. Anadolu University Journal of the Faculty of Business, 2(1), 13-26.
22. Kantar, G. and Erdoğan, I. (2014). Health tourism in Turkey, Journal of Health Academics, 1 (1), 15-20.
23. Kapan, S. (2019). Health tourism in Turkey and in the world. Inspector's Thesis. Ministry of Health Inspection Board, Ankara.
24. Kırıcı, S. (2020). Medical Tourism In Turkey. Internatıonal Congress Of Scıence Culture, Health And Sport Full Text Book. Comic Bookstore, 2020, p.34-36, Antalya.
25. Kopmaz, B. and Arslanoğlu, A. (2018). Mobile Health and Smart Health Applications, Journal of Health Academics, 5(4), 251-255.
26. Lee, C. and Spisto, M. (2007). Medical Tourism, the Future of Health Services. In the 12th International Conference on ISO 9000 and TQM Proceedings (p.1–7), Taiwan.
27. Manaf, N.H.A., Hussin, H., Kassim, P.N.J., Alavi, R. and Dahari, Z. (2015). Medical Tourism Service Quality: Finally Some Empirical Findings. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 26(9-10), 1017-1028. doi: 10.1080/14783363.2015.1068597
28. Mason, A. and Wright, K.B. (2011). Framing Medical Tourism: An Examination of Appeal, Risk, Convalescence, Accreditation, and Interactivity in Medical Tourism Web Sites, Journal of Health Communication, 16(2), 163-177. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2010.535105
29. Öksüz, B. and Altıntaş, V. (2017). Use of Digital Communication Channels in Health Tourism, Journal of Travel and Hotel Management, 14(1), 59-75. doi:10.24010/soid.303662
30. Özen. H. (2021). Evaluation of Digital Health Services in Terms of Sustainable Development Goals, OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 17(38), 5440-5472.
31. Özsarı, S.H. and Karatana, Ö. (2013). Turkey's Situation in terms of Health Tourism. Journal of Kartal Training & Research Hospital/Kartal Training and Research Hospital Medical Journal, 24(136-144). doi:10.5505/jkartaltr.2013.69335
32. T.C. Ministry of Health General Directorate of Treatment Services, (2011). Medical Tourism in Turkey, Ankara.
33. Tezcan C. (2016). An Innovative Perspective on Health Mobile Health, Istanbul: Tüsiad Publications.
34. Toygar, Ş.A. (2018). E-Health Applications. Legislative Journal, (37), 101-123.
35. TR. General Directorate of Health Services, General Presidency of Health Tourism (2022). Access Date: 10 February 2022, https://shgmturizmdb.saglik.gov.tr/TR,68082/saglikturizmi-nedir.html
36. TR. General Directorate of Health Services, General Presidency of Health Tourism (2022). Access Date: 8 February 2022, https://shgmturizmdb.saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/10953/0/11pdf.pdf
37. TR. Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2022), Access Date: 10 February 2022, https://www.ktb.gov.tr/
38. Trauer, B. (2006). Conceptualizing Special Interest Tourism - Frameworks for Analysis. Tourism Management, 27(2), 183–200. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2004.10.004
39. Uygun, M. (2015). Analysis of Turkish Health Tourism in the Vision of Turkey Tourism
40. Strategy (2023). In Translation: An Overview of Health Tourism Within The Context of
41. Turkey's Tourism Strategy (2023), I. Eurasia International Tourism Congress: Current Issues Trends, And Indicators. EITOC, pp. 236-242.
42. Uysal, B. and Ulusinan, E. (2020). Review of Current Digital Health Applications, Selçuk Health Journal, 1(1), 46-60.
43. Yardan, E.D., Dikmetaş, H., Us, N.C. and Yabana, B. (2014). Health Tourism in Turkey and the World, Journal of Performance and Quality in Health, 8(2), 27-42.
44. Yıldırım, A. and Şimşek, H. (2013). Qualitative Research Methods in Social Sciences, (Extended 9th Edition), Ankara: Seçkin Publishing.
45. Younis, M., O'lawrence, H. and Martinez, I. (2019). The Global Health Issues and Medical Travel: A Review. International Journal of Health Management and Tourism, 4(2), 96-110. doi:10.31201/ijhmt.52363