The Impact of Medical Tourism Industry on Hospital Services and Marketing Activities: A Systematic Review

The healthcare and tourism industry has given birth to what is known as medical tourism, which is one of the largest and fastest growing service industries in the world and a profitable business for the destination country. To attract many medical tourists, it is important for us to recognize the vital factors that influence medical tourists' decisions in choosing a destination country by implementing good marketing and healthcare service strategies. A systematic research using the PRISMA method obtained from online databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar using the keywords "medical tourism" AND "hospital services" AND "marketing". The end of this search resulted in 7 journals. India, Singapore, and Thailand are the three main medical tourism destinations in the world with their respective advantages offered. Medical tourism is greatly influenced by patient satisfaction with the quality of health and service quality. A good marketing strategy plays a very important role in introducing medical tourism to medical tourists. With an attractive website and social media, you can attract patients without considering other factors. Do not forget that patient satisfaction greatly influences the return or absence of patients to do medical tourism to the country.

In this context, a thorough analysis of this article leads us to a deeper understanding of how the medical tourism industry affects hospital services and marketing activities. According to Tourism Economist, Dr. John Swarbrooke, in his book titled "The Development and Management of Visitor Attractions", medical tourism creates significant economic opportunities for destination countries. Swarbrooke highlights that with the increase in the number of medical tourists, there is an increase in revenue for hospitals and other healthcare services. However, he also emphasizes that in order to fully exploit the potential of medical tourism, an effective marketing strategy is needed to attract medical tourists.

In addition, from a marketing management perspective, Philip Kotler, a renowned marketing expert, emphasizes the importance of using the right marketing mix in the medical tourism industry. According to Kotler, an effective marketing mix consists of product, price, promotion, and distribution. In the context of medical tourism, hospitals need to ensure that they offer high-quality services at competitive prices. Promotion is also an important key in reaching potential medical tourists, both through online and offline media. However, Kotler also emphasizes the importance of service delivery that is consistent with the hospital's brand image.

Through in-depth analysis, we can see that this article provides valuable insights into the importance of effective marketing strategies in the medical tourism industry. However, there are some aspects that need further attention. For example, the article highlights patient satisfaction as a key factor in medical tourism, but does not explore the factors that influence patient satisfaction in detail. In addition, the article's analysis can also be supplemented with empirical data that illustrates the trend of medical tourism in certain countries, as well as its impact on the economy and health system.

In terms of health facility accreditation in Indonesia, the Indonesian Health Facility Accreditation Institute (LAFKI) plays a very important role in ensuring that hospitals and other health services meet the established standards. Through the implementation of best practices in health care and marketing, hospitals can improve the quality of their services and attract more medical tourists, which in turn will contribute positively to economic growth and health infrastructure development in Indonesia.

Thus, this article not only provides insights into the influence of the medical tourism industry on hospital services and marketing activities, but also illustrates the importance of effective marketing strategies and quality health services in attracting medical tourists. By strengthening collaboration between the medical tourism industry, hospitals, and accreditation bodies such as LAFKI, Indonesia can strengthen its position as an attractive medical tourism destination for medical tourists from around the world.