Safe acceptance in the nurses’ cultural care of medical tourists in Iran: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Medical tourism is traveling to another country to promote, restore and maintain health, recreation, and pleasure. There are different types of health tourism, including medical tourism, recovery tourism, and preventive tourism. This study aimed to explain safe acceptance in the nurses’ cultural care of medical tourists in Iran. Methods In this qualitative study, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses, patients, and patients’ relatives, who had been selected by purposeful sampling in 2021–2022. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed by conventional content analysis. Results The statistical analysis revealed that the main theme of this study was safe acceptance which included the five categories of trust building, safety, maintaining comfort and peace, stress control, and identifying patients’ expectations. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that safe acceptance of cultural care was essential to medical tourism. Iranian nurses were aware of the factors that affected cultural care and the safe acceptance of medical tourists. Moreover, they carried out the necessary measures to achieve safe acceptance. In this regard, solutions such as developing a comprehensive and mandatory national qualification program and evaluating its periodic performance in this field are suggested.

Knowledge and attitude of students of medical sciences universities regarding health tourism: A cross‐sectional study

“…this was similarly claimed in two studies by Zia Sheikholeslami et al 24,25 Moreover, in our study, high quality and low price of services, positive international image of the destination country, and the ability to treat a specific type of disease were the most important factors in attracting foreign patients from the student's point of view, which was reported in two studies by Zia Sheikholeslami et al 24,25 A study by Hamzehpour et Interacting with international patients can broaden their knowledge and understanding of different healthcare practices. 38 In this regard, our study revealed that almost half of the subjects did not have any idea about whether the development of health tourism could lead to the improvement of the level of medical knowledge of medical professionals or not, while the studies carried out by Zia Sheikholeslami et al 24,25 demonstrated that the majority of participants believed that the entry of health tourists might cause the development of Iranian physicians' knowledge. Regarding this attitude, a literature review on health tourism by Zhong et al…”

“…Interacting with international patients can broaden their knowledge and understanding of different healthcare practices. 38 In this regard, our study revealed that almost half of the subjects did not have any idea about whether the development of health tourism could lead to the improvement of the level of medical knowledge of medical professionals or not, while the studies carried out by Zia Sheikholeslami et al 24 , 25 demonstrated that the majority of participants believed that the entry of health tourists might cause the development of Iranian physicians' knowledge. Regarding this attitude, a literature review on health tourism by Zhong et al revealed that the rise of medical‐health‐wellness tourism emphasizes the privatization of healthcare, an increasing dependence on technology, and the accelerating globalization of healthcare and tourism.…”

“…A study by Hamzehpour et al mentioned that health tourism involves attracting patients from other countries to seek medical treatment in Iran which his influx of patients from diverse backgrounds can expose Iranian medical professionals to a wider range of medical conditions, treatment approaches, and cultural perspectives. Interacting with international patients can broaden their knowledge and understanding of different healthcare practices 38 . In this regard, our study revealed that almost half of the subjects did not have any idea about whether the development of health tourism could lead to the improvement of the level of medical knowledge of medical professionals or not, while the studies carried out by Zia Sheikholeslami et al 24,25 demonstrated that the majority of participants believed that the entry of health tourists might cause the development of Iranian physicians' knowledge.…”