Özet:

Medical tourism is a rapidly developing health sector due to increased human mobility as a result of globalization and the widespread use of information technologies. Turkey is an important destination for medical tourism, whose importance is increasing due to the aging of societies, the rapid increase in healthcare costs, and the long waiting times for those who want to receive services. Currently, many authorized health institutions provide services for medical tourism services carried out under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, and there are bilateral agreements with many countries. However, there is no comprehensive state policy on medical tourism yet, and regulations are made when problems and needs arise. To inform national medical tourism policy of Turkey, this study aims to understand the perspectives, needs and expectations of healthcare providers working in this sector. According to the findings of in-depth interviews with 10 managers from medical tourism service provider institutions, this qualitative study shows that Turkey has many strengths in this field, faces various opportunities, but there are also various problems and threats due to policy and implementation shortfalls. To get the most out of strengths arising from Turkey’s geographic location, qualified health workforce and advanced health infrastructure, it is required to fix the legal gaps, coordinate and supervise medical tourism services, and create realistic policies.

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