The medical tourism industry has been growing at an ever-increasing rate. Many people find it easier and cost-effective to visit foreign countries for various medical treatments and elective procedures. While there are American patients who prefer to go to Mexico for receiving healthcare services, there also are British patients who mostly come to India and other Asian countries for treatments. This clearly indicates that there are some cultural issues involved, as far as trends in the medical tourism industry are concerned.
Patients are very much concerned about the cultural shock they might receive in a new setting. Thus, they prefer to go to countries where they find it culturally comfortable to receive the treatment. Having an understanding of the involved cultural issues can help countries raise their medical tourism. If cultural competence were integrated with the healthcare system, medical tourists would find it more comfortable exploring other destinations that could probably offer better treatment services to them. However, every medical facility and caretaker who has been involved in the treatment of foreign tourists coming to their country should achieve this competence.
There is a need to examine closely the two-way culture between a physician and a visitor. It is not only about the doctor or caretaker understanding the patient’s behavior and cultural beliefs, but also about the patient understanding the destination’s behavior and culture. Thus, medical tourism service providers should aim at distributing cultural information about the destination among medical tourists. Additionally, physicians should be trained on communication methods to be adopted while conversing with patients from another culture. This helps in developing cultural respect among physicians and caretaking staff members.
Cultural diversity can be explained in various terms, which include varied geographies, religions, languages, customs, beliefs, norms, traditions and perceptions. An understanding of a country’s cultural diversity can also be provided to patients by their healthcare facilities. If there is a proper understanding of other cultures, there can be lesser gap in communication and more awareness of applications. Additionally, patients and caregivers can avoid any kind of miscommunication that might happen due to cultural disbeliefs.
Better and safe healthcare services can be offered if doctors from one culture fully understand the requirements of patients from an entirely different culture. Healthcare facilities can also focus on employing translators to support this task. In addition, it is also important to have an understanding of food and drinking habits, clinical care, and complex cultural needs of patients who come from another culture. Every culture has its own liberties and limitations whose understanding can bridge the gap between medical tourism service provides and patients.
