Affecting Factors Entrepreneurship in the Field of Health Tourism: A Scoping Review

Health tourism is a relatively new concept with rapidly growing application. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to determine the factors affecting health entrepreneurship in the field of health tourism.

The present study is a practical study that was conducted as a systematic review (scoping review). To collecteing data, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Proquest, and Google Scholar databases were searched in August 2022 to obtain all scientific documents in this field without time limits and with the related keywords. EndNote 20 software was used to manage and screen articles. Duplicate cases, screen titles and abstracts, study characteristics, and the most important results were recorded in the data collection form. Due to the fact that our data analysis was qualitative data, it was done in the form of meta-synthesis, which is why the content analysis method was used for data analysis using MaxQda 2018 software.

Out of 2942 identified articles, 27 articles were included in the study. Most of these studies were conducted in Iran, China, and Russia. The most important factors affecting health tourism entrepreneurship include strategic planning, provision of support services such as accommodation and insurance, access to high-quality medical centers, providing high-quality services, appropriate marketing and advertising, and the use of new information and communication technologies in accessing services. .

It is necessary for health managers and policymakers to pay attention to the establishment of laws and standards of health tourism, cooperation between government and private institutions, and providing solutions for the institutionalization of health tourism, especially in areas with tourism potential. This work requires providing sufficient financial and human resources and strengthening entrepreneurial skills and thinking in those interested in this field and marketing.