Medical tourism as a travel category that continues to show consistent growth as increasing healthcare costs fuels demand for medical and wellness procedures abroad. In 2024, the medical tourism market was valued at $13.69 billion (USD) and is forecasted to top $80 billion (USD) by 2032 (Polaris Market Research). Lower health care costs abroad and reduced waiting times for certain procedures can be attributed to the growth of the category as medical travelers seek more practical ways to obtain quality healthcare. Medical travel covers a wide range of healthcare categories including:

Elective and non elective medical procedures
Wellness treatments and procedures
Cosmetic procedures
Dental and oral procedures and surgeries

Some of the more popular destinations for medical tourism are Singapore, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, India and Costa Rica and depending on the procedure and recovery process, many travelers are combining leisure aspects into their medical journeys. Medical travel is a practical choice for individuals who want to save money and / or time but planning such trips has increasing layers of complexity and can seem daunting to first timers or even seasoned veterans of medical travel. Demand for healthcare services abroad has created opportunities for technology to simplify the process and deliver peace of mind to medical travelers seeking services outside their home region.

The Complexities of Medical Tourism

Planning medical and wellness trips are unlike other categories of travel and require far more attention to detail and precision for success. Seeking healthcare services abroad is a practical solution for many but navigating foreign healthcare systems and regulations can be daunting and a highly detailed itinerary and schedule is necessary for complete synchronization of transportation, accommodation and healthcare elements of the journey. Some key areas of medical trip planning are:

Arranging air travel and ground transportation at the destination
Reserving accommodations that are practically located near healthcare facilities
Scheduling medical procedures and acquiring full details of locations and appointment times
Creating tasks and needs lists for before and after procedures and recovery
Organizing important medical and travel documents needed
Understanding local and regional healthcare regulations and resources

The added layers of complexity for medical travel planning can be daunting and add additional stresses to what could be an already stressful situation for the traveler but accurate scheduling and detailed itineraries are necessary to ensure a successful and complete medical journey. Technology can provide valuable benefits and conveniences that alleviate some of the stresses involved with medical trip planning and can give travelers peace of mind.

Mobile Devices Simplify Medical Trip Planning

The evolution of mobile device and smartphone technology has created opportunities for innovation in the medical tourism category. Advanced functionality and connectivity can be harnessed to deliver real and significant benefits to medical travelers. medTOUR+assist is a new, in development, mobile app that allows medical travelers an easy and familiar method to plan detailed medical trips and execute itineraries flawlessly. Some core functions of medTOUR+assist are:

Ability to schedule appointments, locations and set reminders / notifications
Provide localized navigation to healthcare facilities
Store and retrieve important travel and medical documents
Access localized healthcare and leisure resources
Manage pre and post procedure checklists and recovery instructions

Utilizing the full functionality and connectivity capabilities of devices, medTOUR+assist can help medical travelers plan and carry out medical trips efficiently and accurately. Staying organized and on schedule are key factors in successful medical trips and medTOUR+assist is engineered to deliver on both.

Gaining Peace of Mind Through Technology

The added complexities of medical trip planning can increase stress levels, especially for those that are seeking non-elective healthcare procedures. The medTOUR+assist app provides medical travelers an easy to use tool that can plan complete medical trips from start to finish and ensure that all elements of the journey are organized and available through just a few screen taps. medTOUR+assist can bring peace of mind to medical travelers by delivering important localized resources and information with just a few taps within the app. Features and functionality of the medTOUR+assist app will position it as an indispensable technology that medical travelers will come to rely on when arranging and completing medical trips abroad.

A Complete Solution for Medical Travelers

Healthcare related tourism continues to grow as consumers look for more practical options when it comes to medical and wellness procedures but planning medical journeys can be complex and requires a strict attention to detail. Currently in development, medTOUR+assist is a mobile application that provides medical travelers a convenient way to plan and organize medical trips, alleviating some of the stresses usually associated with medical travel. In addition to powerful organizational and planning functionality, medical travelers can quickly access local healthcare resources and regulations as well as localized navigation to healthcare facilities within the medTOUR+assist app. medTOUR+assist delivers significant functionality and features before, during and after the medical trip. medTOUR+assist is a practical and effective solution for the growing medical tourism category. For more information or to check development status, please visit the Media Center and reach out with the contact form.