Knowledge transfer in the 'medical tourism' industry: The role of transnational migrant patients and health workers

Summary

Tapping into migrants’ diverse tacit healthcare knowledge can bring a range of stakeholders in countries of origin great insight, at both macro and micro levels, not only into how to improve on local healthcare delivery but also how to effectively respond to the needs and interests of ‘medical tourists’, travellers and other migrants. This chapter reviews recent literature on migration and ‘medical tourism’ in order to look in greater detail at the role, first, of migrant patients and, second, of migrant health workers in the development of Global South destinations’ ‘medical tourism’ industries. It offers a series of lessons drawn from the many examples of migrant knowledge transfer and barriers presented.