Compiling and Prioritizing Factors Affecting Medical Tourism Development in Ahvaz Metropolis

 A B S T R A C T
Documentary and field studies of medical tourism in Iran indicate that although medical tourism has long attracted foreign tourists and patients, and in recent years, the foundations of its organizational and legal management have also begun, it is going through the first stages of its development and is facing challenges to reach its rightful place. The present study aims to compile and prioritize the factors affecting medical tourism development in Ahvaz metropolis. The study employed an applied research design, descriptive-analytical method, and survey research. The study is a quantitative research based on the collected and analyzed data. The data were extracted from library and field research techniques. The statistical population comprises scientific and executive medical tourism experts in Ahvaz city, whose number was estimated to be 35. Due to the limited population size, all individuals were selected as samples (total population sampling). The findings demonstrated that the factors of facilities and advanced medical equipment with path coefficients of 0.51 and t of 3.5; the behavior of doctors and medical staff with path coefficients of 0.38 and t of 3.9; cost-effectiveness with path coefficients of 0.72 and t of 9.2; Information search with path coefficients of 0.28 and t of 4.1; and individual factors with path coefficients of 0.36 and t of 3.5 have a significant correlation with medical tourism development in Ahvaz metropolis. Use of medical and tourism facilities and equipment with high technology and international standards, promotion of tourism culture, clarification of the price of medical and tourism services, improvement of the quality of medical services, and increase and use of information technology in related fields should be placed on the agenda of the officials to achieve the medical tourism industry development
Extended Abstract
Introduction
A subset of health tourism and the most popular and fastest-growing trend in the healthcare and tourism industry over the past few decades, medical tourism occupies a growing part of the tourism market today. Many developing countries have joined the race, realizing great potential and opportunities; they are seriously pursuing effective policies to increase their attractiveness as a destination for this highly profitable part of the global tourism industry. Besides, there is a competition to see which countries will invest in this growing global industry. Medical tourism is a new market in the tourism industry, growing increasingly in recent years. Documentary and field studies in medical tourism in Iran show that medical tourism in Iran has long been of interest to tourists and foreign patients entering Iran. The foundations of its organizational and legal management have been initiated in recent years. It is currently going through the first stages of its development and is facing challenges in reaching its rightful place. The present study seeks to compile and prioritize the factors affecting medical tourism development in Ahvaz metropolis.
 
Methodology
The study employed an applied-theoretical research design, descriptive-analytical method, and survey research. The study is a quantitative research based on the collected and analyzed data. The data were extracted from library and field research techniques (questionnaires and interviews with experts, citizens, and relevant officials). For this purpose, comprehensive information for research was prepared by studying books, articles, and research projects and directly referring to statistical centers and statistics. Then, the study was completed through questionnaires, interviews, and field studies. The questionnaire questions were organized according to the research objectives and key factors in medical tourism development in Ahvaz metropolis so that the desired information could be collected from the statistical sample under study. The
 
statistical population comprises scientific and executive medical tourism experts in Ahvaz city, whose number was estimated to be 35. Due to the limited population size, all individuals were selected as samples (total population sampling). The statistical techniques of Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis were employed to analyze the data and test the research hypotheses. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v-26.0 and Amos software.
 
Results and discussion
The data statistical analysis shows that the results of investigating the research hypotheses were as follows. The first research hypothesis states that “advanced medical facilities and equipment have a positive and significant effect on tourism development in Ahvaz city.” The significance coefficient (t-statistic) for two research variables is higher than 1.96. Therefore, the first research hypothesis is confirmed, i.e., “advanced medical facilities and equipment have a positive and significant effect on tourism development in Ahvaz city.” These results are consistent with Krishan (2019) and Ririn Teri et al. (2022). The second research hypothesis is formulated as “the behavior of physicians and medical staff has a positive and significant effect on tourism development in Ahvaz city.” Considering that the significance coefficient (t-statistic) for two research variables is higher than 1.96, the second research hypothesis, i.e., “the behavior of physicians and medical staff has a positive and significant effect on the development of tourism in Ahvaz city,” is confirmed. The results of investigating the hypothesis are consistent with Mahendradatta (2019), Wei Zhang (2022), and Kerami et al. (2017). The third research hypothesis states that “cost-effectiveness has a positive and significant effect on tourism development in Ahvaz city.” Considering that the significance coefficient (t-statistic) for the two research variables is higher than 1.96, the third hypothesis of the research is confirmed as cost-effectiveness has a positive and significant effect on the development of tourism in Ahvaz. This hypothesis’s results are consistent with Mayakol, Kiattisin, and Parsad (2018) and Nik Raftar et al. (2017). The fourth research hypothesis is formulated as “the expertise and skills of physicians and medical staff have a positive and meaningful effect on tourism development in Ahvaz.” The significance coefficient (t-statistic) for two research variables is higher than 1.96. Therefore, the fourth hypothesis of the research is confirmed as the expertise and skill of physicians and medical staff have a positive and significant effect on the development of tourism in Ahvaz. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with Suze et al. (2018), Mohammadi et al. (2022), and Saki (2017). The fifth research hypothesis is formulated as “Information search has a positive and significant effect on the tourism development of Ahvaz city.” Considering that the significance coefficient (t-statistic) for two research variables is more significant than 1.96, the fifth research hypothesis, i.e., “information search has a positive and significant effect on the tourism development of Ahvaz city,” is confirmed. This hypothesis’s results align with Hanfeld et al.’s research. The sixth research hypothesis states that “individual factors positively and significantly affect tourism development in Ahvaz city.” Considering that the significance coefficient (t-statistic) for two research variables is more than 1.96, the sixth hypothesis of the research entitled “individual factors have a positive and significant effect on the development of tourism in Ahvaz city” is confirmed. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with Wang (2016), Mobaraki et al. (2020) and Akhundi Ersi (2020).
 
Conclusion
The findings demonstrated that the factors of facilities and advanced medical equipment with path coefficients of 0.51 and t of 3.5; the behavior of doctors and medical staff with path coefficients of 0.38 and t of 3.9; cost-effectiveness with path coefficients of 0.72 and t of 9.2; Information search with path coefficients of 0.28 and t of 4.1; and individual factors with path coefficients of 0.36 and t of 3.5 have a significant correlation with medical tourism development in Ahvaz metropolis.
Use of medical and tourism facilities and equipment with high technology and international standards, promotion of tourism culture, clarification of the price of medical and tourism services, improvement of the quality of medical services, and increase and use of information technology in related fields should be placed on the agenda of the officials to achieve the medical tourism industry development.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
 We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.