Emerging of Medical Tourism in Egyptian Hospitals: International Patient Satisfaction towards Nurses Services Quality

Eman Salman Taie

Head of Nursing Administration Department, Faculty of Nursing, Helwan University. Egypt-Cairo.

E-mail: Dr_emys@hotamil.com, Dr_emys2006@yahoo.com, Tel:022/ 01001499572

Accepted 08 February 2013

Abstract

The present study aims to examine medical tourism in two of the Egyptian Hospitals and to explore the level of international patient satisfaction concerning services provided by nurses in five dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy).  A quasi- experimental design was used in carrying out the study. The study was conducted in As-Salam International Hospital and Dar El Foad Hospital Subjects were composed of two groups. The first group was (212) from As-Salam International Hospital nurses and (198) from Dar El Foad Hospital. Included both Arabic and foreigner nurses. While, the second group was international patients included Arabic patients from Arabic countries and foreigner patients from other countries all over the world, (180) patients from As-Salam International Hospital and (130) patients from Dar El Foad Hospital. Data was collected by using nurses’ knowledge about medical tourism Questionnaire; semi-structured interview sheet and international patient satisfaction Questionnaire (using SERVQUAL instrument). Majority of the studied nurses in both of the studied hospitals before awareness sessions were lack knowledge about definition of medical tourism, reasons for medical tourism, benefits of medical tourism for the host country, quality and safety in medical tourism, ethical and legal considerations in medical tourism and barriers to growth of medical tourism. International patients mentioned several points when deciding medical tourism hospital. The mean score of international patients’ satisfaction in the five dimensions in SERVQUAL instrument were ranged between average and high level. It was concluded that all nurses of the study sample before awareness session were lack knowledge about medical tourism, international patients mentioned criteria for selecting medical tourism hospitals and the mean score of international patients’ satisfaction in the five dimensions in SERVQUAL instrument were ranged between average and high level.

Keywords: Medical Tourism, Nursing Care, Quality, patient satisfaction, SERVQUAL instrument