Services Marketing and Medical Tourism: The Impact on Private Health Services in Bangkok

Abstract

This is a research paper that is concentrated on assessing service marketing developments and medical tourism and its impacts on the of private hospital provision in Bangkok, in terms of rationale, application and engagement.

An interpretive methodology was utilised in order to help understand the senior marketing management perceptions underpinning hospital services marketing developments directed towards medical tourism. The scope for this research were private hospital on-site senior marketing teams. The population of interest was made up of 14 senior marketers located at multiple-site main health services offices.

The research outcomes consisted of three (3) Main Themes - Health Services Marketing Management, Health Services Unit Internal Management and Services Marketing Developments; ten (10) sub-themes; with 244 discussion targets.

The paper addresses a number of raised issues and establishes outcomes and implications for managing medical tourism within the private hospital sector in Bangkok.

Very little research has been conducted in this area in Bangkok and the paper addresses health service issues/reactions to Medical Tourism as being unclear, tentative and requiring more effective and robust services marketing developments.