Rethinking Medical Tourism: A Theoretical Integration of Sharing Economy Mechanisms and Patient Needs

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to develop conceptual framework that explains the integration of medical tourism and the sharing economy by examining how medical tourist needs can be addressed through platform-based service solutions. Methods: The study adopts a conceptual research design based on a synthesis of the existing literature on medical tourism and the sharing economy. Medical tourist needs are categorized into medical, psychological, cultural and tourism related dimensions and their relationship with sharing economy applications is theoretically examined. Results: The proposed framework suggests that medical tourist needs drive the adoption of sharing economy platforms such as accommodation, transportation and social service applications. These platforms facilitate access to personalized and flexible services which in turn positively influence patient outcomes including satisfaction, perceived service quality, trust and overall experience. The model further identifies cultural distance, language barriers and type of medical procedure as key moderating factors shaping these relationships. Conclusion: The study concludes that integrating sharing economy applications into medical tourism can enhance service accessibility, patient satisfaction and overall experience. The proposed conceptual model provides a foundation for future empirical research and offers practical implications for healthcare providers and policymakers.

Keywords

• Healthcare services
• medical tourism
• sharing economy
• patient satisfaction

Tıbbi Turizmi Yeniden Düşünmek: Paylaşım Paylaşım Ekonomisi Mekanizmaları ile Hasta İhtiyaçlarının Kuramsal Olarak Birleştirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma, tıbbi turizm ile paylaşım ekonomisinin entegrasyonunu açıklayan kavramsal bir çerçeve geliştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu kapsamda, medikal turistlerin ihtiyaçlarının platform tabanlı hizmet çözümleri aracılığıyla nasıl karşılanabileceği incelenmektedir. Yöntem: Çalışma, tıbbi turizm ve paylaşım ekonomisine ilişkin mevcut literatürün sentezine dayanan kavramsal bir araştırma tasarımını benimsemektedir. Medikal turist ihtiyaçları; tıbbi, psikolojik, kültürel ve turizmle ilişkili boyutlar şeklinde sınıflandırılmış ve bu ihtiyaçların paylaşım ekonomisi uygulamalarıyla ilişkisi kuramsal olarak ele alınmıştır. Bulgular: Önerilen çerçeve, medikal turist ihtiyaçlarının konaklama, ulaşım ve sosyal hizmet uygulamaları gibi paylaşım ekonomisi platformlarının benimsenmesini yönlendirdiğini göstermektedir. Bu platformlar, kişiselleştirilmiş ve esnek hizmetlere erişimi kolaylaştırmakta; bu durum ise hasta memnuniyeti, algılanan hizmet kalitesi, güven ve genel deneyim gibi hasta çıktıları üzerinde olumlu etkiler yaratmaktadır. Model ayrıca, kültürel mesafe, dil engelleri ve tıbbi işlem türünü bu ilişkileri şekillendiren temel düzenleyici faktörler olarak tanımlamaktadır. Sonuç: Çalışma, paylaşım ekonomisi uygulamalarının tıbbi turizme entegre edilmesinin hizmetlere erişimi, hasta memnuniyetini ve genel deneyimi artırabileceği sonucuna varmaktadır. Önerilen kavramsal model, gelecekte yapılacak ampirik araştırmalar için bir temel sunmakta ve sağlık hizmeti sunucuları ile politika yapıcılar için pratik çıkarımlar sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Sağlık Hizmetleri,
• medikal turizm
• paylaşım ekonomisi
• hasta memnuniyeti

References

1. Acuner, S., & Acuner, E. (2017). Turizmde paylaşım ekonomisi ve vergilendirilmesi. Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 5(2), 188-212. https://doi.org/10.21325/jotags.2017.77
2. Adams, K., Snyder, J., Crooks, V. A., & Berry, N. S. (2018). A critical examination of empowerment discourse in medical tourism: the case of the dental tourism industry in Los Algodones, Mexico. Globalization and Health, 14(1), 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-018-0392-3
3. Almanza, M. T. M. (2025). Organic Medical Tourism at the Border: The Natural Dynamics of Ciudad Juárez-El Paso. El Periplo Sustentable, (48), 266-282. https://doi.org/10.36677/elperiplo.v0i48.25748
4. Alp, G., & Yılmaz, Y. (2024). Medical tourism destination image: Scale development. International Journal of Tourism Research, 26(4), e2723. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2723
5. Batman, O. (2015). Management of hotel enterprises. Sakarya, Türkiye: Değişim Publications. Borg, E. A., & Ljungbo, K. (2018). International market-oriented strategies for medical tourism destinations. International Journal of Market Research, 60(6), 621-634. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470785318770134
6. Burkett, L. (2007). Medical Tourism: Concerns, Benefits and the American Legal Perspective. Journal of Legal Medicine, 28(2): 223-245. https://doi.org/10.1080/01947640701357763
7. Carruth, P. J., & Carruth, A. K. (2010). The financial and cost accounting implications of medical tourism. International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER), 9(8).
8. Celata, F., & Stabrowski, F. (2022). Crowds, communities, (post) capitalism and the sharing economy. City, 26(1), 119-127. https://doi.org/10.1080/13604813.2021.2018846

9. Chandna, V. (2022). Social entrepreneurship and digital platforms: Crowdfunding in the sharing-economy era. Business Horizons, 65(1), 21-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.09.005
10. Chaulagain, S., Le, L. H., & Hancer, M. (2024). Traveling for medical tourism: the roles of demographics, past experience and medical tourism destination familiarity. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 25(5), 960-985. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2023.2202199
11. Connell, J. (2006). Medical tourism: Sea, sun, sand and… surgery. Tourism Management, 27(6), 1093-1100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2005.11.005
12. Connell, J. (2013). Contemporary medical tourism: Conceptualization, culture and commodification. Tourism Management, 34, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2012.05.009
13. Crooks, V. A., Kingsbury, P., Snyder, J., & Johnston, R. (2010). What is known about the patient's experience of medical tourism? A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 10, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-10-266
14. Crooks, V. A., Turner, L., Snyder, J., Johnston, R., & Kingsbury, P. (2011). Promoting medical tourism to India: Messages, images, and the marketing of international patient travel. Social Science & Medicine, 72(5), 726-732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.12.022
15. Donnally, C. J., Rosas, S., Sheu, J. I., Damodar, D., Buller, L. T., Cohen-Levy, W. B., ... & Hernandez, V. H. (2018). Air travel and thromboembolic events after orthopedic surgery: where are we and where do we need to go?. Journal of Transport & Health, 8, 100-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2017.11.150
16. Esiyok, B., Çakar, M., & Kurtulmuşoğlu, F. B. (2017). The effect of cultural distance on medical tourism. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 6(1), 66-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2016.03.001
17. Gaines, J., & Lee, C. V. (2019). Medical tourism. In: Keystone J. S., Kozarsky P. E., Connor B. A., et al., eds. Travel Medicine. Elsevier. 371-375. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-54696-6.00039-2
18. Gholipour, H. F., & Esfandiar, K. (2025). Does medical tourism promote growth in healthcare sector?. The European Journal of Health Economics, 26, 233–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-024-017003
19. Ghosh, T., & Mandal, S. (2019). Medical tourism experience: Conceptualization, scale development, and validation. Journal of Travel Research, 58(8), 1288-1301. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287518813469
20. Glinos, I. A., Baeten, R., Helble, M., & Maarse, H. (2010). A typology of cross-border patient mobility. Health & Place, 16(6), 1145- 1155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.08.001
21. Hall, C. M. (2011). Health and medical tourism: a kill or cure for global public health?. Tourism Review, 66(1/2), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/16605371111127198
22. Hall, C. M., Prayag, G., Safonov, A., Coles, T., Gössling, S., & Naderi Koupaei, S. (2022). Airbnb and the sharing economy. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(19), 3057-3067. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2122418
23. Han, H., & Hyun, S. S. (2015). Customer retention in the medical tourism industry: Impact of quality, satisfaction, trust and price reasonableness. Tourism Management, 46, 20-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.06.003
24. Hanefeld, J., Lunt, N., Smith, R., & Horsfall, D. (2015). Why do medical tourists travel to where they do? The role of networks in determining medical travel. Social Science & Medicine, 124, 356-363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.05.016
25. Heath, M., Hvass, A. M. F., & Wejse, C. M. (2023). Interpreter services and effect on healthcare-a systematic review of the impact of different types of interpreters on patient outcome. Journal of Migration and Health, 7, 100162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2023.100162
26. Herrick, D. M. (2007). Medical tourism: Global competition in healthcare. Dallas, Texas: National Center for Policy Analysis.
27. Heung, V. C., Kucukusta, D., & Song, H. (2010). A conceptual model of medical tourism: Implications for future research. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 27(3), 236-251. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548401003744677 Howze, K. S. (2007). Medical tourism: symptom or cure. Georgia Law Review, 41(3), 1014-1052.
28. Jiang, M., Zhao, L., & Li, Y. (2024). Multidimensional destination perception effects over medical tourists’ behavioural in emerging destinations: empirical evidence from China’s international medical tourism pilot area. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 10(2), 545-561. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-07-2023-0144
29. Kamassi, A., Abdul Manaf, N. H., & Omar, A. (2021). The need of international Islamic standards for medical tourism providers: a Malaysian experience. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 12(1), 113-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-03-2019-0051
30. Kane, G. C. (2016). Crowd-based capitalism? Empowering entrepreneurs in the sharing economy. MIT Sloan Management Review, 57(3).
31. Ketter, E. (2019). Eating with EatWith: Analysing tourism-sharing economy consumers. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(9), 1062-1075. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2017.1357682
32. Khiewpan, R., Thongrom, P., Srihirun, J., Pisitkasem, P., & Kumboonb, A. (2024). Factor of medical tourism service for support human resource development of hospitals in Thailand. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 30. https://doi.org/10.17512/pjms.2024.30.1.09
33. Kuhzady, S., Olya, H., Farmaki, A., & Ertaş, Ç. (2021). Sharing economy in hospitality and tourism: a review and the future pathways. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 30(5), 549-570. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2021.1867281
34. Kuhzady, S., Seyfi, S., & Béal, L. (2022). Peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation in the sharing economy: A review. Current issues in tourism, 25(19), 3115-3130. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1786505
35. Li, L., & Chen, X. (2022). Empirical research into the development mechanism of industry innovation of Health and wellness tourism in the context of the sharing economy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12479. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912479
36. Li, X., Hyun, S. S., & Kim, H. S. (2024). Perception of medical practitioners on the importance of medical tourism services. International Journal of Tourism Research, 26(1), e2617. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2617
37. Liu, I. C., & Chen, C. C. (2013). Cultural issues in medical tourism. American Journal of Tourism Research, 2(1), 78-83.
38. Lunt, N., & Carrera, P. (2010). Medical tourism: assessing the evidence on treatment abroad. Maturitas, 66(1), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2010.01.017
39. Martin, C. J. (2016). The sharing economy: A pathway to sustainability or a nightmarish form of neoliberal capitalism?. Ecological economics, 121, 149-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.11.027
40. Mathijsen, A., & Dziedzic, E.B. (2024). Diasporic Medical Tourism: examining tourists’ profiles, antecedents and behavioural intention. European Journal of Tourism Research, 37, 3702. https://doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v37i.3010
41. Mikulić, J., Krešić, D., & Šerić, M. (2021). The factor structure of medical tourist satisfaction: exploring key drivers of choice, delight, and frustration. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 45(8), 1489-1512. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348020987273
42. Mondal, S., & Samaddar, K. (2020). Issues and challenges in implementing sharing economy in tourism: a triangulation study. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 32(1), 64-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-03-2020-0054
43. Muth, S., & Suryanarayan, N. (2020). Language, medical tourism and the enterprising self. Multilingua, 39(3), 321-342. https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2019-0006
44. Ngamvichaikit, A., & Beise-Zee, R. (2014). Communication needs of medical tourists: an exploratory study in Thailand. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 8(1), 98-117. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-10-2012-0010
45. Özdipçiner, N. (2018). Thermal tourism. Ankara, Türkiye: Detay Publishing.
46. Paffhausen, A. L., Peguero, C. & Roche-Villarreal, L. (2010), Medical Tourism: A Survey, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Washington, DC.
47. Precedence Research. (2025). Medical tourism market research. https://www.precedenceresearch.com/medical-tourism-market
48. Rahman, M. K. (2019). Medical tourism: tourists’ perceived services and satisfaction lessons from Malaysian hospitals. Tourism Review, 74(3), 739-758. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-01-2018-0006
49. Raoofi, S., Khodayari-Zarnaq, R., & Vatankhah, S. (2024). Healthcare provision for medical tourism: A comparative review. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 13(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1740_22
50. Rathnayake, I., Ochoa, J. J., Gu, N., Rameezdeen, R., Statsenko, L., & Sandhu, S. (2024). Strategies for enhancing sharing economy practices across diverse industries: a systematic review. Sustainability, 16(20), 9097. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16209097
51. Runnels, V., & Carrera, P. M. (2012). Why do patients engage in medical tourism?. Maturitas, 73(4), 300-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.08.011
52. Sandberg, D. S. (2017). Medical tourism: An emerging global healthcare industry. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 10(4), 281-288. https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2017.1296213
53. Sarıipek, S., & Zengin, B. (2024). International health tourism: Countries and practices. Çanakkale, Türkiye: Paradigma Akademi.
54. Shabaninejad, H., Gorgi, H. A., & Ziaee Niri, A. (2016). Ranking the effective factors in attracting health tourists in Tehran: Application of multi-criteria decision-making model. Journal of Biology and Today's World, 5(11), 203-208.
55. Shalini, N., Sathish, R., Divya Rao, B.J., & Mamatha, H.K. (2024). Future Prospects for Growth of the Medical Tourism Industry. In: Chaudhary, B., Bhatia, D., Patel, M., Singh, S., Sharma, S. (eds) Medical Tourism in Developing Countries. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8909-6_17
56. Tontuş, H. Ö. (2017). History of health tourism. Ankara, Türkiye: SATURK Publications. https://dosyamerkez.saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/10943,01pdf.pdf.
57. Tsekouropoulos, G., Vasileiou, A., Hoxha, G., Dimitriadis, A., & Zervas, I. (2024). Sustainable approaches to medical tourism: strategies for central Macedonia/Greece. Sustainability, 16(1), 121. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010121
58. Tussyadiah, I. P., & Sigala, M. (2018). Shareable tourism: tourism marketing in the sharing economy. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 35(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2018.1410938
59. Ullah, N., Zada, S., Siddique, M. A., Hu, Y., Han, H., Vega-Munoz, A., & Salazar-Sepulveda, G. (2021). Driving factors of the health and wellness tourism industry: A sharing economy perspective evidence from KPK Pakistan. Sustainability, 13(23), 13344. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313344
60. Uzoni, M. (2020). Medical tourism and language barriers in healthcare. Buletin Stiintific, seria A, Fascicula Filologie, 29(1), 111-120.
61. Vargo, S. L., & Akaka, M. A. (2009). Service-dominant logic as a foundation for service science: Clarifications. ServiceScience, 1(1), 32-41. https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.1.1.32
62. Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 1-17.
63. Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2008). Service-dominant logic: Continuing the evolution. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-007-0069-6
64. Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2017). Service-dominant logic 2025. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 34(1), 46-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.11.001
65. Vila-Lopez, N., & Küster-Boluda, I. (2022). Sharing-collaborative economy in tourism: A bibliometric analysis and perspectives for the post-pandemic era. Tourism Economics, 28(1), 272-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166211035712
66. Wu, H., & Van Trung, H. (2025). Medical insurance and its impact on tourism: evidence from Vietnam. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1683023. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1683023
67. Ye, B. H., Yuen, P. P., Qiu, H. Z., & Zhang, V. H. (2008). Motivation of medical tourists: An exploratory case study of Hong Kong medical tourists. Paper presented at the APTA Annual Conference. Bangkok, Thailand.
68. Yirik, Ş., Ekici, R., & Baltacı, F. (2015). Health tourism in Türkiye and the world (medical tourism). Ankara, Türkiye: Detay Publishing.
69. Zain, N. A. M., Connell, J., Zahari, M. S. M., & Hanafiah, M. H. (2022). Intra-regional medical tourism demand in Malaysia: a qualitative study of Indonesian medical tourists’ rationale and preferences. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences: MJMS, 29(2), 138 –156. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2022.29.2.13
70. Zarei, A., & Maleki, F. (2019). Asian medical marketing, a review of factors affecting Asian medical tourism development. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 20(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2018.1438959
71. Zolfagharian, M., Rajamma, R. K., Naderi, I., & Torkzadeh, S. (2018). Determinants of medical tourism destination selection process. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 27(7), 775-794. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2018.1444527