A review of the medical supply chain with an emphasis on cosmetic surgery in Iran

Supply chain management (SCM) is one of the most advantageous management approaches for integrating and coordinating relevant suppliers and producers and business activities to deliver products and services in a timely manner to the end-user. Due to the health tourism and services’ Supply chain, the supply chain structure of the tourist services can be considered as a chain of services which includes the different health tourism industry members; so that, members connect with each other, and delivering full medical services to the consumers. Therefore, through the reinforcement of the supply chain in this field, one can acquire the highest value-added benefits.
This study is quantitative research and a kind of survey study. Moreover, the main purpose of this research is to consider the effect of drivers of medical tourism supply chain practices and medical tourism supply chain practices on the organizational performance in Iran. In order to answer the raised questions, a sampling group of 312 present employees from different sectors of medical tourism supply chain are randomly selected. Collected data through the questionnaires analyzed with correlation test and linear regression. The study results indicate that power, mutual relationship, cooperation, coordination and information sharing are the fundamental elements which lead to provide and improve the performance of organizations which involve the medical tourism supply chain. Not paying attention to any of the above-mentioned factors prevents achieving the supply chain group goals. The power of supply chain members influences medical tourism supply chain practices (cooperation, information sharing and coordination); also it influences organizational performance indirectly. Contrary to the previous studies Results show that among drivers of medical tourism supply chain practices trust and commitment had no effect on medical tourism supply chain practices and the organizational performance.