Holiday apartment at the clinic

Medical tourism refers to a form of tourism where people travel to other countries to have medical treatments and procedures. This can either be for reasons of quality, price or access to specialized treatments.

Would you like to undergo medical treatment at a university clinic far away from home and travel with family members? Then we can possibly offer you the perfect apartment near the clinic, from which you can often reach the clinic on foot.

On our booking portal you will find numerous holiday and temporary apartments near university and specialist clinics. These include the

• Uniklinik Essen,
• Protonentherapiezentrum Essen,
• Uniklinik Köln,
• Uniklinik Bochum
• Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Bad Oeynhausen,

which, depending on their specialization, are among the top medical centers in Germany.

Medical tourism

Medical tourism is currently a global trend and the result of ongoing globalization. Conceptually, this means the transnational use of medical services. Patients are becoming more and more mobile and are often willing to travel halfway around the world for adequate treatment.

Germany, Switzerland and Austria are particularly popular with medical tourists. Medical excellence, state-of-the-art technical equipment and good value for money attract people from all over the world who are willing to be treated. Probably the largest group of medical tourists consists of wealthy clients who expect better therapy in Germany, Switzerland or Austria than in their home country.

This category of foreign patients spends an average of 80,000 euros on their treatment. Finally, there is a third group of medical tourists from other European countries. These are mainly patients who would have to wait an unreasonably long time for a specific operation or treatment in their home country.

The term "medical tourism" is not made up of medicine and tourism for nothing. Patients abroad often use not only medical but also tourist services. Those who want treatment travel with relatives and combine the treatment with sightseeing and shopping, provided their health allows it.

As a result, medical tourism also acquires a certain importance for the economy as a whole. According to estimates, around 1.2 billion euros flow into the coffers of hospitals and doctors in Germany alone every year.

Health tourism

Medical tourism must be distinguished from health tourism. Health tourism is primarily about maintaining physical and mental fitness, with attractive tourist conditions such as a healthy climate, cuisine and culture being used. In contrast, medical tourism is disease-induced. These are regularly patients who are looking for the best and/or cheapest treatment option for their disease worldwide.

In principle, medical tourists make use of the entire medical spectrum - from prevention to surgery and treatment to rehabilitation. However, the fields of orthopaedics, internal medicine, surgery and cardiology are particularly in demand. There are certainly country-specific peculiarities. Due to the reactor accident in Chernobyl, the oncology department is of increasing interest to patients from the Ukraine, the CIS countries and the Baltic States.

On the other hand, people from the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia who are willing to be treated with metabolic diseases and their secondary diseases are more likely to come due to their lifestyle. These are mostly diseases that affect the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system and the eyes.

Economic importance for Germany

For Germany, medical tourism has economic importance as it has become a major destination for medical tourists. Germany is known for its high quality medical care and advanced technologies that attract people from all over the world.

Medical tourism revenues contribute to Germany's economy by generating income for the healthcare industry, travel and tourism industry, and other related industries. In addition, medical tourism helps create and sustain jobs in these industries.

Medical tourism countries

Germany is currently receiving medical tourists from various countries, including:

These countries have different reasons for medical tourism to Germany. Some come for the high quality of medical care, while others come for the specialization and availability of treatments. Access to technologies and processes that are not available in their home countries also plays a role.

Sales volume

According to information from the credit card provider Visa, medical tourism is currently turning over 400 billion dollars worldwide. Forecasts say that in 2025 around 4% of the world's population will seek medical services in other countries.

The numbers already speak for themselves. In Germany alone, around 250,000 medical tourists from 177 countries are treated every year. Of these, 100,000 are treated as inpatients in clinics. However, this also includes accidental hospital stays during a trip.

According to estimates, specifically planned treatments of foreign patients in hospitals make up around 40 - 45%. Every clinic and every doctor can benefit from the additional income generated by treating patients abroad.

The trend towards treatment abroad is unbroken - even if the growth in medical tourism in Germany has recently weakened to 1.4%. Looking at the last decade, the number of medical tourists from other countries has doubled. The main countries of origin of medical tourists include the Arabian Gulf States, Russia, CIS countries, the Baltic States, other EU countries, overseas and China.

Quellen: Wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medizintourismus, Primo Medico, https://www.primomedico.com