Question

why is there growing rivalry for inbound international patientst? under what conditions should a hospital make capital investments to attract international patients

Answer 1

Globalization is highly adopted in the health sector as patients seek improved services abroad. Globalization in health care is considered as an aspect that encompasses business aspect as well as variation of service due to heterogeneity of knowledge and skills within nations . There is growing rivalry because of following reasons.
Bringing prestige to hospitals inbound patients from every corner of the globe, bringing prestige to those institutions.

Not just healthcare's medical tourism Most International Patient   require additional services such as interpreter / translator, pre arrival medical
assessment, assistance with hotel reservations or housing options, special dietary needs
and coordination of aftercare services. Hence provide ancillary revenue.

Following are the key consideration before making capital investment in attracting foreign patients.

Medical tourism carries some risks that locally provided medical care does not

Medical risks : Some countries, such as South Africa, or Thailand have very different infectious disease-related epidemiology to Europe and North America. Exposure to diseases without having built up natural immunity can be a hazard for weakened individuals so having adequate facilities is prerequisite.

Legal risks/ Accreditation required : International healthcare accreditation is the process of certifying a level of quality for healthcare providers and programs across multiple countries. International healthcare accreditation organizations certify a wide range of healthcare programs such as hospitals, primary care centers, medical transport, and ambulatory care services

Careful appraisal of facilities for international accreditation is must before making capital investment.

•Volumes or occupancy, which in the long run are tied to population growth plus demographic shifts, but also depend on the competition level so the inflow of international patients should be analysed for possible ROI.