Drivers and key factors influencing the future of Medical Tourism Industry in Iran by 2025

Mohammad Zarezade¹ Sogand Tourani² Reza Dehnavieh³ Mohammad Hossein Ghafoori⁴

1) Assistant Professor, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, School of Public Health, Department of Health Care Management, Yazd, Iran, Email:
2) School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Email:
3) Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
4) Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Department of Health Economics, Yazd, Iran, Email:

Publication : 2nd International Conference on Advanced Research in Management And Humanities(huconf.com/2nd)
Abstract :
According to World Tourism Organization, tourism industry will play a major role in the future of the world economy and international trade, particularly between 2020 and 2030, and medical tourism will be the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world.This prospective study was conducted using the combination of quantitative (AHP and morphology analysis) and qualitative (interviews, content analysis, and Delphi) approaches to identify drivers affecting the future of medical tourism in Iran. The sample included upstream documents and 40 experts in tourism and medical tourism who were selected purposefully. Data collection was done by the researcher made form, Delphi interview guide form, structured questionnaire Delphi, and structured questionnaire for prioritizing drivers. For data analysis, qualitative content method, morphology analysis, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used. The obtained data were analyzed running SPSS 21 and Expert Choice software 11. First, 170 factors were extracted running 2 Delphis. Running content analysis, 129 factors were prioritized based on Likert scale and considering two important indicators, including uncertainty and importance. In the later stages, resorting to morphological analysis and content analysis, these factors was reduced to four. Finally, according to AHP, the following factors were extracted : 1- policy status, internal and external communications; 2- the status of technology, international medical and non-medical facilities; 3- status of oil and the level of country development; and 4- status of management, policy making, and legislation According to the results, driver or key factors influencing the future of medical tourism industry in Iran were as follows: 1-status of policy, Iran s internal and external communications; 2- status of technology, medical and non-medical facilities; 3- status of oil and the level of country development; and 4- status of management, policy, and legislation
Keywords : Medical Tourism Morphological Analysis Driver The future study