ABSTRACT
This study on the influencing factors that lead Nigerian medical tourist to choose hospitals abroad as medical tourism destination. The specific objectives were to; identify who is a medical consumer/tourist; identify the problem why Nigerians go abroad for medical care; identify the travel motivation (push and pull) factors of Nigerians seeking healthcare abroad; identify the benefit of having our medical care in Nigeria; The study revealed that there are reasons for there are reasons Nigerian medical tourists choose going abroad as medical tourist destinations. Demographic analysis of members if the National assembly along gender lines shows more female population registering 52.4%. The study also showed that there are more unmarried people in relation to married, widowed or divorced people. Single segment was registered 52.7% of the sample studied. It was also revealed that top government officials are viewed as tourists in relation to lecturers students and farmers, the top government officials segment was registered 81.1% of the sample studied. From the study it was revealed that access to latest medical care, absence of world class hospitals and diagnostic centres and low technology in medical equipment’s here in Nigeria, as the reasons why Nigerians travel abroad to seek medical care. The study also revealed that hospitals abroad have international accreditation, provides high technology medical equipment’s, fast services and outstanding patient care, provides professional doctors as well as hospital nurses and staff as motivational factors that affect their choice of travelling abroad for medical care. The study also discovered that the medical system in Nigeria as evaluated by the respondents is not encouraging.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table
of Content vi
List
of Tables ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of The Study 1
1.2 Statement Of The Problem 2
1.3 Objectives Of The Study 2
1.4 Research Questions 3
1.5 Significance Of The Study 3
1.6 Scope Of The Study 4
1.7 Limitations
Of The Study 4
1.8 Definition Of Terms 5
CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.
1 Conceptual
Frame Work 6
2.1.1 The Concept of Influencing Factors For Choice
Of Medical
Tourism
Destination. 6
2. 1. 2 The
Marketing Mix in Medical Tourism Industry 8
2.1.2.1
Product 8
2.1.2.2
Price 9
2.1.2.3
Place 10
2.1.2.4
Promotion 10
2. 1. 3 Consumers
/ Customer Satisfaction 11
2.1.4 Medical
Tourism in Various Countries Worldwide 11
2.1.4.1
United States of America 11
2.1.4.2
Mexico 12
2.1.4.3
India 13
2.1.4.4
Singapore 14
2.1.4.5
Malaysia 14
2.1.4.6
Nigeria 15
2.1.5 Top Reasons Why Medical Tourism is Popular 16
2.1.5.1
Price 16
2.1.5.2
Access to the latest medical technology 17
2.1.5.3
No Wait-lists 17
2.1.5.4 Travel Intermediaries 18
2.1.5.5 Access To Information 18
2.1.6 Choice of International Medical Facility 18
2.1.6.1
Cost 18
2.1.6.2
Hospital Accreditation / Infrastructure 19
2.1.6.3
Quality of Care 19
2.1.6.4
Physician Training 19
2.2 Theoretical
Frame Work 20
2.2.1 Theory
Of Motivation 20
2.2.2 Push
and Pull Motivation Factors 20
2.2.1.2 Push and Pull Relationship 22
2.2.3 Perceived Destination Image 23
2.2.4 Perceived Quality 25
2.2.5 Perceived Value 26
2.2.6 Overall Satisfaction 27
2.2.7 Behavioral Intention 29
2.2.8 Relationship Of Perceived Quality, Perceived
Value, Overall Satisfaction and
Behavioral
Intention 30
2.3 Empirical Studies 35
2.4 Summary
Of Reviewed Literature 38
CHAPTER
THREE
MATERIALS
AND METHODS
3.1 Research Design 40
3.2 Area Of The Study 40
3.3 Population For The Study 41
3.4 Sample And Sampling Technique 41
3.5 Instrument For Data Collection 42
3.5.1 Data Source 42
3.6 Validation Of The Instrument. 42
3.7 Data Collection Techniques. 42
3.8 Reliability Of The Instrument 43
3.9 Data
Analysis Techniques. 43
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION,
INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Socio Economic Characteristics the
Respondents 44
4.2 Who is a Nigerian medical tourist 47
4.3 Why do Nigerian travel abroad to seek
medical care? 48
4.4 What
are the Travel Motivations (Push And Pull Factors) 50
4.5 What
are the benefits if having our health care in our country 52
4.6 What are the benefits if having our
health care in our country 53
CHAPTER
FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary 55
5.2 Conclusion
56
5.3 Recommendation 57
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
1
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Distribution According To Nationality 44
Table 2: Distribution According Gender 44
Table
3: Distribut2ion According to
Age 45
Table 4: Distribution According Marital Status 45
Table
5: Distribution according to
Occupation 46
Table 6: Distribution
of respondents according to religion 47
Table 7: Distribution
of respondents according to the frequency of visit 47
Table 8: Nigerian
medical tourist? 47
Table 9: Reasons Nigerian travel abroad to seek medical care? 48
Table
10a: Product as a Travel Motivation 50
Table
10b: Place as a Travel Motivation 51
Table
10c: Price as a Travel Motivation 52
Table
10d: Promotion as a Travel
Motivation 52
Table
11 What are the benefits if
having our health care in our country 53
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of The Study
Medical
Tourism is also commonly known as medical travel,
health tourism or global healthcare. It is a term initially coined by travel
agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of
traveling across international borders to obtain health care (Shaywitz, DA and
Ausiello, DA,2002). According to Deloitte Center for Health Solutions (2008),
Medical Tourism is the process of “leaving home” for treatments and care abroad
or elsewhere domestically. In some cases, medical tourism includes a relaxing vacation
during the visit in the country destination chosen for medical treatment.
Medical tourism is becoming an increasingly popular option for patients looking
to access medical care (typically via out-of-pocket payment) that are seemingly
unavailable to them in their home countries. The health care treatments in
various emerging medical tourist destinations are remarkably inexpensive,
wherein medical tourists tend to choose to “offshore” their medical needs
instead and enjoy an additional benefit of a luxury vacation. The combination
of a first class medical treatment and a relaxing vacation while recuperating
might be one of the main attractions why a number of medical travelers decided
to test a booming trend in the hospitality industry. Medical tourism has become
a US$60 billion a year business and is growing by 20% a year (MacReady, 2007).
Famous country destinations worldwide for medical travel includes US, Britain, India,
Cuba, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and others (Gahlinger, PM,
2008).
According
to Business Day Nigeria,47% of Nigerians that visited India in the year 2012
did so to get medical attention, while the remaining 53% did so for other
reasons. The 47% of Nigerians who visited India for medical purposes amounted
to 18,000 persons and they expended #41.6 billion($260million) in scarce
foreign exchange in the process. These figures were primarily released by India
High commissioner.
Further
evidence to back the Indian High Commissions assertion is the statement of
Professor Babatunde Oshotimehin, Nigeria’s former minister of Health and also
that of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of finance, both in 2011,that
about $200 million(#30 billion), which is equivalent to about 20% of the
budgetary allocation for the healthcare
sector in 2010,could be saved annually if Nigerians who travel abroad
for medical services could be treated locally. The research through this work
is trying to find an enabling solution that could reverse the exodus of
Nigerians to seek medical care abroad.
1.2 Statement
Of The Problem
Nigeria
is undoubtedly one of the biggest sufferer of Medical Tourism in the world.
Factors like inadequate medical equipment and personnel, and also inadequate
infrastructure have greatly contributed to the abysmal state of Nigeria’s
healthcare sector and in turn made the people loose confidence in this sector.
This lack of confidence in the healthcare sector has further led to increase of
top public officers and other wealthy Nigerians with life threatening ailments
travelling abroad in search of better
medical care.Poor health infrastructure, low standard of patient care,
absence of world-class hospitals and diagnostic centers,the stunted growth of
healthcare system and incessant strike actions by medical personnel are also
major factors that compel Nigerians to seek medical attention abroad.
1.3 Objectives
Of The Study
The
main objective of this study is identify the influencing factors that lead
Nigerian patience to choose hospitals abroad as their medical tourism
destination.
1. To
identify who is a medical consumer/tourist.
2. To
identify the problem why Nigerians go abroad for medical care.
3. To
identify the travel motivation (push and pull)factors of Nigerians seeking
healthcare abroad.
4. To
identify the benefit of having our medical care in Nigeria.
1.4 Research Questions
The
following research question will be answered;
1. Who
is a medical consumer/tourist?
2. Why
do Nigerians go abroad to seek medical care?
3. What
are the travel motivation( push and pull) factor of Nigerians seeking
healthcare abroad?
4. What
are the benefits of having our medical care in Nigeria?
1.5 Significance Of The
Study
The
underlying phenomenon of global medical tourism is vastly increasing. Therefore
the results and findings of this research study will be useful to the
following;
1. 1.The
Hospital wherein they can have a clear understanding of what medical tourist
value the most and what they are looking for when they travel abroad for
medical checkups and surgeries. This study will help to identify the essential
key strengths and core competencies of the leading hospital providers of
Medical Tourism abroad.
2. The
Government can also benefit from this research study in which they can have
information on the various aspects they need to improve upon in order to
attract medical tourists and to reverse medical tourism to Nigeria.
3. The
Nigeria Tourism Development Commission (NTDC),in which profound details will be
unveiled regarding the core determinants that motivate Nigerian patients
seeking for medical treatment to choose hospitals abroad as their main
destination for healthcare. Medical Tourism is a consumer-driven trend and in
order to survive and thrive, the health-delivery industry of the country must
keep up with its consumer’s demand and needs (Nakra, 2011).
1.6 Scope
Of The Study
This
research study is primarily focused on Nigerian medical tourists who travel
abroad to receive various medical treatment. Due to time fund constraint, the
study will be restricted to the national assembly Abuja.
1.7
Limitations Of The Study
This
research study was conducted by means of retrieving completed questionnaires
from members of the national house of assembly Abuja. These aforementioned
establishments value their members’ privacy. Hence, research surveys are not
allowed to be conducted inside the house. Furthermore, due to time limitation,
the respondents were only restricted to members that have adequate English
proficiency that allowed them to answer the questionnaire with clear
understanding.
There
were only 370 completed questionnaires were collected. A more sufficient
outcome should have been explored from this study if more respondents were
allowed to answer the questionnaire.
1.8 Definition Of Terms
A.Push
Factors – originated from intangible or intrinsic
desires of human beings, including the desire for escape, novelty seeking,
adventure seeking, dream fulfillment, self-exploration, rest and relaxation,
health and fitness, prestige, and socialization (Chon, 1989; Lam & Hsu,
2006; Uysal & Jurowski, 1994; Yuan & McDonald, 1990).
B.Pull
Factors – refers to the tangible and intangible
external forces emerging from the attribute that attract the individual to a
specific destination and establish the actual specific destination choice
(Ballo Etzel,1985;Cha,McCleary & Uysal, 1995; Dan, 1981; Kim,Crompton &
Botha, 2000; Klenosky, 2002; Uysal & Jurowski, 1994; and Uysal &
Hagan,1993)
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