IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i2p1209-d1030531.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Demographics and Trends for Inbound Medical Tourism in Germany for Orthopedic Patients before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Tizian Heinz

    (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Julius-Maximilians University Wuerzburg, Koenig-Ludwig-Haus, Brettreichstrasse 11, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany)

  • Annette Eidmann

    (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Julius-Maximilians University Wuerzburg, Koenig-Ludwig-Haus, Brettreichstrasse 11, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany)

  • Axel Jakuscheit

    (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Julius-Maximilians University Wuerzburg, Koenig-Ludwig-Haus, Brettreichstrasse 11, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany)

  • Tino Laux

    (Distance and Independent Studies Center, Technical University Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schroedinger-Straße 57, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany)

  • Maximilian Rudert

    (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Julius-Maximilians University Wuerzburg, Koenig-Ludwig-Haus, Brettreichstrasse 11, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany)

  • Ioannis Stratos

    (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Julius-Maximilians University Wuerzburg, Koenig-Ludwig-Haus, Brettreichstrasse 11, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany)

Abstract

Medical tourism is a rapidly growing sector of economic growth and diversification. However, data on the demographics and characteristics of the traveling patients are sparse. In this study, we analyzed the common demographic properties and characteristics of the inbound medical tourists seeking orthopedic medical care in Germany for the years 2010 to 2019 compared to a domestic group. At the same time, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak of 2020 changed the field of medical tourism in Germany. Calculations were performed using administrative hospital data provided by the Federal Statistical Department of Germany. Data were analyzed from the years 2010 to 2020. A total of six elective orthopedic surgery codes (bone biopsy, knee arthroplasty, foot surgery, osteotomy, hardware removal, and arthrodesis) were identified as key service indicators for medical tourism and further analyzed. Factors including residence, sex, year, and type of elective surgery were modeled using linear regression analysis. Age and sex distributions were compared between patients living inside Germany (DE) or outside Germany (non-DE). Between 2010 and 2020, 6,261,801 orthopedic procedures were coded for the DE group and 27,420 key procedures were identified for the non-DE group. Medical tourists were predominantly male and significantly younger than the domestic population. The linear regression analysis of the OPS codes over the past years showed a significantly different slope between the DE and non-DE groups only for the OPS code “hardware removal”. With the COVID-19 pandemic, an overall decline in performed orthopedic procedures was observed for the non-DE and the DE group. A significant reduction below the 95% prediction bands for the year 2020 could be shown for hardware removal and foot surgery (for DE), and for hardware removal, knee arthroplasty, foot surgery, and osteotomy (for non-DE). This study is the first to quantify inbound medical tourism in elective orthopedic surgery in Germany. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected many—but not all—areas of orthopedic surgery. It has to be seen how this negative trend will develop in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Tizian Heinz & Annette Eidmann & Axel Jakuscheit & Tino Laux & Maximilian Rudert & Ioannis Stratos, 2023. "Demographics and Trends for Inbound Medical Tourism in Germany for Orthopedic Patients before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-11, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:2:p:1209-:d:1030531
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1209/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1209/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Klaus Schmerler, 2018. "Medical Tourism in Germany," Developments in Health Economics and Public Policy, Springer, number 978-3-030-03988-2, March.
    2. Milica Z. Bookman & Karla R. Bookman, 2007. "Medical Tourism in Developing Countries," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-60565-7, December.
    3. Ruggeri, Kai & Ivanović, Nevena & Razum, Josip & Kácha, Ondřej & Menezes, Igor G. & Zafari, Zafar & Garcia-Garzon, Eduardo, 2018. "An evidence-based policy for improving choice in global health access through medical travel," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(12), pages 1372-1376.
    4. Connell, John, 2013. "Contemporary medical tourism: Conceptualisation, culture and commodification," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 1-13.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Moghavvemi, Sedigheh & Ormond, Meghann & Musa, Ghazali & Mohamed Isa, Che Ruhana & Thirumoorthi, Thinaranjeney & Bin Mustapha, Mohd Zulkhairi & Kanapathy, Kanagi A./P. & Chiremel Chandy, Jacob John, 2017. "Connecting with prospective medical tourists online: A cross-sectional analysis of private hospital websites promoting medical tourism in India, Malaysia and Thailand," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 154-163.
    2. Han, Heesup & Hyun, Sunghyup Sean, 2015. "Customer retention in the medical tourism industry: Impact of quality, satisfaction, trust, and price reasonableness," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 20-29.
    3. Yongrok Choi & Zamira Ashurova & Hyoungsuk Lee, 2021. "Sustainable Governance on the Intention of Medical Tourism in Uzbekistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-18, June.
    4. Salman Majeed & Changbao Lu & Mahwash Majeed & Muahmmad Naeem Shahid, 2018. "Health Resorts and Multi-Textured Perceptions of International Health Tourists," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-26, April.
    5. Mohammad Jamal Khan & Firoz Khan & Saba Amin & Shankar Chelliah, 2020. "Perceived Risks, Travel Constraints, and Destination Perception: A Study on Sub-Saharan African Medical Travellers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Divya Chaudhry, 2022. "Is Medical Tourism Really Unethical? An Alternate Perspective for Developing Countries," Journal of Development Policy and Practice, , vol. 7(2), pages 145-157, July.
    7. Hilšerová Monika, 2022. "Medical Tourists’ Satisfaction and Decision-Making Factors with a focus on the Czech Republic," Czech Journal of Tourism, Sciendo, vol. 11(1-2), pages 60-83, December.
    8. Ricardo Pagan & Daniel Horsfall, 2020. "Medical Tourism Markets: Models of Sustainability. The Case of Spain and The Costa del Sol (Malaga)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-17, October.
    9. Neha Malhotra & Kartik Dave, 2022. "An Assessment of Competitiveness of Medical Tourism Industry in India: A Case of Delhi NCR," International Journal of Global Business and Competitiveness, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 215-228, December.
    10. Inessa Tyan & Antonio Guevara-Plaza & Mariemma I. Yagüe, 2021. "The Benefits of Blockchain Technology for Medical Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-12, November.
    11. Jacek Borzyszkowski & Adrian Lubowiecki-Vikuk, 2019. "Destination Management Organizations and Health Tourism Visual Identification in Central and Eastern Europe," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 241-261.
    12. Muhammad Ali & Anita Medhekar, 2018. "Healthcare Quality of Bangladesh and Outbound Medical Travel to Thailand," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(2), pages 575-588.
    13. Hallow Al-Talabani & Hasan Kilic & Ali Ozturen & Suhad Othman Qasim, 2019. "Advancing Medical Tourism in the United Arab Emirates: Toward a Sustainable Health Care System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, January.
    14. Loh, Chung-Ping A., 2015. "Trends and structural shifts in health tourism: Evidence from seasonal time-series data on health-related travel spending by Canada during 1970–2010," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 173-180.
    15. Anita Medhekar, 2016. "Medical Tourism Development in Dubai: Managing Challenges and Opportunities," GATR Journals gjbssr443, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.
    16. Prabal Chakraborty & Moumita Poddar, 2020. "Role of Multiple Stakeholders in Value Co-creation and Effects on Medical Tourism," Jindal Journal of Business Research, , vol. 9(1), pages 18-26, June.
    17. Laura Kemppainen & Veera Koskinen & Harley Bergroth & Eetu Marttila & Teemu Kemppainen, 2021. "Health and Wellness–Related Travel: A Scoping Study of the Literature in 2010-2018," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, May.
    18. Csapó János & Marton Gergely, 2017. "The Role and Importance of Spa and Wellness Tourism in Hungary's Tourism Industry," Czech Journal of Tourism, Sciendo, vol. 6(1), pages 55-68, June.
    19. Zohreh Amiri Sardari & Tayebeh Abdoli Mohamadabadi & Javad Nazarian-Jashnabadi & Giovanni Tesoriere & Tiziana Campisi, 2024. "Smart Experience and Green Health Tourism: The Moderating Role of Content Marketing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-20, May.
    20. Buzinde, Christine N. & Yarnal, Careen, 2012. "Therapeutic landscapes and postcolonial theory: A theoretical approach to medical tourism," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(5), pages 783-787.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:2:p:1209-:d:1030531. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.