• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.333-341
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• 2015

This article aimed to investigate problems relating to medical tourism based on a review of medical tourism reports and statistics in the global healthcare industry. To be a leading nation in the global healthcare industry, the needs and culture of many peoples, including Muslims, should be considered. Qualified medical services by JCI certification, including nutrition services, will provide opportunities to participate in the international and Asia medical tourism markets. In this article, the definitions of medical tourism, medical service, Halal and Haram, nutrition service for inbound Muslim patients, and Halal food supply in Korea were examined for medical service improvement. Mutual assistance between the government and private enterprise, sharing of medical service information, and construction of a cooperative network system are needed and should be supported by the government.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.193-207
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• 2010

This paper examined the impact of medical esthetic tourism and the recognition of Halleu consciousness (Korean wave) on tourism image, Korean food consciousness, tourist satisfaction and tourist behaviour intention to achieve the aimed purpose of the paper, pre-tested questionnaire that distributed by pre-arranged MA students to deluxe hotels and plastic surgery hospitals was questioned and filled up by Japanese and Chinese tourists who visited Korea for a medical-related purpose. For sampling technique and size, random sampling was used and 211 copies of the questionnaire were collected. Linear regression through PASW 18.0 as a main statistical analysing method was used to examine the hypothesis and the result showed that medical esthetic tourism and recognition of Halleu had positive effects on tourism image, Korean food consciousness, tourist satisfaction and tourist behavioral intention(p<0.001). In particular, the result revealed that esthetic tourism and the recognition of Halleu as the main key factors had strong effects on Korean food consciousness even though there were a number of variety components in tourism. Therefore, to make inbound medical esthetic tourism and the recognition of Halleu more stable and sustainable and make Korean food world-wide recognized, more strategic policies for a specific tourism market are required.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.165-190
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was supposed to investigate factors which influence to preference of medical tourism products of Japanese tourists in Seoul, Korea. Methods : Data were collected from 228 Japanese tourists who visited' Seoul Center for Culture & Tourism' in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Korea. We measured factors which influence to preference for medical tourism. The data were analyzed by T-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. Results : The major findings were as follows ; Japanese tourists preferred medical products in the order of skin care, oriental medicine treatment, health screening, and scaling & teeth whitening. They considered technical level of medical staff most importantly, followed by safety of medical products, communication during diagnosis and treatment, follow-up service, modernization of medical facilities and equipment, and the reasonable medical expenses. Japanese tourists' preferred medical institutions in the order of a university hospital, a specialty clinic, a special hospital, They said they intend to pay 50,000 to 150,000 yen for medical tourism. The preference to medical tourism products are that single women group in their twenties and thirties for skin care, married people group aged over thirties preferred oriental medicine treatment, and married men aged over forties and high income earners favored health screening. Conclusions : It should be considered carefully that the preference exists on some factors especially for Japanese tourist. Further research about preference on medical tourism products for tourists from the other countries is required appropriately to fulfill the needs.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.59-73
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• 2013

Healthcare costs are continuously increasing due to longer life expectancy and providing global healthcare services through medical tourism is new service growth engine for Korea. Several countries have well established programs and infrastructure dedicated to medical tourism. South Korea is attempting to become a major player in this domain by undertaking broad initiatives. The success of medical tourism is greatly impacted by easy access to two types of information, namely, medical and travel information. The National Health Insurance System in Korea collects huge amount of clinical and financial information from all hospitals. However, this information does not get used effectively in health and travel information systems to support medical tourism. This paper provide clear process map of medical tourism to understand how the patient and information process both medical and tourism fields also describe the need of customer and service provider. In this paper, we develop a medical tourism service system that will promote information exchange and service delivery.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.249-253
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• 2020

Medical tourism refers to visiting overseas to receive medical services and tourism at the same time. In other words, it can be said that it is a tourism activity that combines medical service, various cultural activities, leisure, and shopping. As such, medical tourism is not limited to simple medical services, but is a new high-value-added industry that creates new profits by fusion with tourism services. Many countries are making continuous efforts to foster their own tourism industry by attracting foreign tourists. Therefore, in order to secure competitiveness in dental services among the medical tourism industry in Korea, this study was to examine the relationship between dentist's treatment, hospital facilities, dental staff, and patient satisfaction. As a result, it was found that the dentist's treatment had a positive effect on both the staff of the dental facility in the hospital and the satisfaction of the patient.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.373-385
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• 2022

Due to the lack of information, medical tourists are regarded to be at high risk. Prior medical tourism research has found that various types of perceived risks have a significant impact on medical tourists' purchase behavior. Even though medical tourism is predicted to increase, there is a lack of behavioral research to explain how perceived risks affect medical tourists' purchase behavior. In the context of Korean medical tourism, this study attempts to evaluate the effects of multi-level (macro, organizational, and personal) factors on medical tourists' perceived risks and purchase intentions. A conceptual model and hypotheses were built and empirically validated to investigate links between multi-level characteristics, perceived risks, and purchasing intentions. The data for this study was collected from Chinese tourists using a questionnaire. The impact of cognitive country image, affective country image, and medical service quality on fundamental risk is confirmed by statistical testing. Surprisingly, expectancy discrepancy risk is influenced only by cognitive country image and information search capabilities. Both fundamental and expectation discrepancy risks lower medical tourists' purchase intentions. The findings of this study show that a multi-level strategy is required to investigate the links between perceived risks and medical tourism purchasing intentions based on macro, organizational, and personal factors.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.309-328
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find a way to improve the quality of medical tourism education services in Korea. Methods: This study used a method of conducting a survey of students who have completed medical tourism education and customer satisfaction coefficient and potential customer satisfaction index were calculated by applying the Kano model. Results: The results of this study are as follows; First, Eight medical tourism education service quality factors were classified as an attractive quality attribute. Second, Thirteen medical tourism education service quality factors were classified as an one-dimensional quality attribute. Third, Online education operation factor was classified as an indifferent quality attribute. Fourth, Instructor quality factor and physical environment quality factor showed relatively high better and high worse coefficients. Finally, According to the PCSI index, it was found that the scope of improvement was the largest when focusing intensively on the quality factors of instructors. Conclusion: This study suggests strategic implications for nurturing excellent professional manpower through quality improvement of education services by identifying the quality factors of major medical tourism education services perceived by students.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.78-97
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to analyze activating factors of medical tourism at Busan, and then decide on priority on the factors. As research methods, this study deduced priority of specialists' opinions by AHP analysis technique through structuralized questionnaire on the medical tourism's factors having been suggested from existing prior studies. The analysis results were same as followings. First, as a result of analysis on the main criteria, relative levels of importance were appeared high such as 'competitiveness', 'policy assistances from the government', 'medical care's infrastructure', and 'connectedness with regions' in order. Second, as a result of integrated results analyzing detailed criteria on the main evaluation standards, relative levels of importance were appeared high such as 'medical quality', 'health-related institution's improvement', 'medical infrastructure', 'medical charge', 'tourism-related institution's improvement', 'convenience', 'medical cooperation possibilities', and 'local industry compliance' in order. In conclusion, it is judged that activation of medical tourism shall be propelled after considering relative levels of importance on many policies or activating factors same as suggested in this study.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.64-73
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• 2015

Medical tourism in Korea has been rapidly grown for last couple of years, based on exclusive support from Korean government. About 60,000 foreign patients received medial services in 2009, an initial stage of entering medical tourism business, and the number of foreign patients received medical services in Korea hiked to more than 266 thousands in 2014, which is showing 34.7% of annual average increase between 2009 and 2014. Diversification of target markets and service areas contributed on this remarkable growth. This paper describes current status of medical tourism in Korea as well as various supports from government for the growth of medical tourism. In addition, the paper presents approaches for brand marketing, by utilizing 7Ps, the marketing mix (a.k.a. service mix), in order to increase awareness and competitiveness of medical services of Korea in global market.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.99-109
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• 2014

Airline and medical industry in Korea have rapidly grown since 21st century. However, air ambulance service using an aircraft has not as popular as in Japan, Europe or United States. Central government has decided to start emergency helicopter service since 2011 to transport emergency patients transported in the past by fire fighter helicopter. Unfortunately, 32 OECD countries out of 33 have operated emergency aircraft system except Korea. There are more than 25 emergency helicopters in Japan, which can operate within five minutes. Such system could save a lot of social direct or in-direct cost by saving valuable lives of Japan citizens. This paper has tried to research the perception of overseas Russian medical tourists on using Air ambulance for their medical tourism to Korea. Researching air ambulance, this paper expects to find ways to enhance both medical tourism industry and airline, business jet industry. According to research results, it was proven that tangibility of medical tourism service has a positive effect on the human factor of air ambulance. The human factor has also a significant impact on the passenger comfortableness of air ambulance. Such comfortableness increases the overall satisfaction of medical tourism.