Evaluation of Characteristics and Capacities of Medical Tourism in Mashhad

Mashhad is the second largest metropolitan in Iran which its medical capacities, established medical academic background and three specialized general hospitals are some of the infrastructures of health tourism in this city. This study aimed to evaluate the features and capabilities of health tourism in the city of Mashhad, with regards to the effective variables on satisfaction and selection of health tourists. In this cross-sectional study, a 4-part questionnaire consisting of (1) demographic characteristics, (2) tourists’ past history and purpose of travel (3) satisfaction with medical services and facilities (4) satisfaction towards environmental factors of travel, was given to non-Iranian health tourists visiting the main hospitals in Mashhad. In this study, 100 tourists were surveyed which the majority of them were from Iraq (93%). Most respondents (87%) were men. The majority of respondents (93%) traveled to Mashhad by public and private medtourism companies. The purpose of the travel for most respondents (64%) was use of medical care (surgery, infertility treatment and dental care). The majority of respondents (74%) stated reasonable costs as the main factor in choosing Iran (Mashhad) for the destination of health tourism. Reverence and well treatment provided by medical staff was evaluated as "average" in most cases (80%). The competence and proficiency of medical staff was assessed "high" in 95% of cases and "very high" in the remaining 5%. The quality of medical equipment in medical tourism provider centers was found to be "high" by the majority of respondents (76%). The majority of participants (85%) expressed the quality of hotels and accommodation services as "high". Quality of transport facilities in the city of Mashhad was assessed as "average" by most of the respondents (61%). In order to attract more health tourists and promote this industry, health tourism in-charges in Mashhad, in addition to trying to maintain and improve the quality of medical services, should move towards the improvement of reverence and well treatment to patients, increase the quality of touristic services and environmental factors as well as offering competitive prices lower than the region.