HEALTH AND MEDICAL TOURISM

TOİ159

Course Code: TOİ159
Semester: -
Theory+Practice: 3 + 0
ECTS: 4

Course Type

Elective Course

Course Level

Associate Degree

Year of Study

Semester

ECTS

Name of Lecturer(s)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

Explains the concept, historical development, sub-branches (medical, thermal, SPA/wellness, third-age, and accessible tourism) of health tourism, and its economic importance in the global market.
Evaluates the management processes of health tourism destinations, international accreditation standards (e.g., JCI), and the integration between healthcare facilities and accommodation enterprises.
Develops target market strategies by analyzing the travel motivations, consumer behaviors, and expectations of health tourists from medical/wellness services.
Manages patient/guest rights, the legal responsibilities of facilitators, health data privacy (GDPR), and ethical rules in health tourism operations.
Designs innovative and therapeutic guest experience programs while considering the principles of protecting local natural resources (e.g., thermal water) within the scope of sustainable health tourism.

Mode of Delivery

Face to face

Prerequisites

Recommended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Description

This course examines the global development and destination competitiveness strategies of medical tourism, thermal tourism, senior tourism, and spa/wellness concepts. The integration of healthcare services with tourism is analyzed from an interdisciplinary dimension. Within the scope of the course learning outcomes, students acquire the skills to explain tourism and health phenomena by correlating them with sociology and psychology disciplines and to develop a proactive service approach anticipating the specific expectations of medical guest profiles

Course Contents

WEEK	TOPICS
1^st Week	Introduction to Health Tourism: Basic Concepts, Scope, and Historical Development
2^nd Week	Sub-branches of Health Tourism I: Medical Tourism
3^rd Week	Sub-branches of Health Tourism II: Thermal, SPA, and Wellness Tourism
4^th Week	Sub-branches of Health Tourism III: Third-Age (Geriatric) and Accessible Tourism
5^th Week	The Global Health Tourism Market, Trends, and Competitor Destinations
6^th Week	Motivations, Expectations, and Consumer Behavior of the Health Tourist
7^th Week	Quality Assurance and Accreditation Systems in Healthcare Facilities (JCI)
8^th Week	Midterm Exam
9^th Week	Facilitators, Travel Agencies, and Logistics Management
10^th Week	Accommodation and Healthcare Integration: Hospitality in the Healing Process
11^th Week	Legal Framework in Health Tourism: Patient Rights and Malpractice
12^th Week	Security of Health Data (KVKK/GDPR) and Medical Ethical Rules
13^th Week	Destination Marketing, Branding, and Communication in Health Tourism
14^th Week	Sustainability, Natural Resource Management, and the Future in Health Tourism

Recommended or Required Reading

1.Türkiye Sağlık Vakfı ve Sağlık Turizm Derneği, Dünya? da ve Türkiye? de Sağlık Turizmi-2010 Durum Tespit Raporu ve Çözüm Önerileri
2.Hall, M. Medical Tourism: The Ethics, Regulation, and Marketing of Health Mobility. Taylor & Francis, Inc. 2012.
3.Hodges, J.R., et al. Risks and Challenges in Medical Tourism: Understanding the Dynamics of the Global Market for Health Services. Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated. 2012.
4.Lunt, N., et al. Medical Tourism: Treatments, Markets and Health System Implications: A Scoping Review. OECD.
5. Tengilimoğlu, D. (2021). Sağlık turizmi (3. Baskı). Siyasal Kitabevi.
6. Kozak, N., & Akdağ, G. (Ed.). (2022). Türkiye'de sağlık turizmi: Potansiyel, uygulamalar ve politikalar. Detay Yayıncılık.
7. Smith, M. K., & Puczko, L. (2014). Health, tourism and hospitality: Spas, wellness and medical travel (2nd ed.). Routledge.
8. Lunt, N., Smith, R., Exworthy, M., Green, S. T., Horsfall, D., & Mannion, R. (2011). Medical tourism: Treatments, markets and health system implications: A scoping review. OECD.
9. De la Hoz-Correa, A., Munoz-Leiva, F., & Bakucz, M. (2018). Past themes and future trends in medical tourism research: A co-word analysis. Tourism Management, 65, 200-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.10.001

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture
Discussion
Questions/Answers
Presentation

Assessment Methods and Criteria

	Quantity	Percentage (%)
Mid-term	1	40
Assignment	1	5
Practice	1	5
Attendance	1	5
Total(%)		55
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)		55
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)		45
Total(%)		100

ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload

Activities	Quantity	Duration (Hour)	Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam	1	1	1
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work	14	3	42
Preparation for Final exam	1	17	17
Course hours	14	3	42
Preparation for Midterm exam	1	17	17
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam	1	1	1
Homework
Total Work Load			120
Total Work Load / 30 (h)			4
ECTS Credit of the Course			4

Language of Instruction

Turkish

Work Placement(s)

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

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