This study is designed to segment potential U.S. medical tourists using perceived risks and to investigate risk reduction strategies and important selection attributes regarding medical tourism. After conducting cluster analyses, three segments are em...
This study is designed to segment potential U.S. medical tourists using perceived risks and to investigate risk reduction strategies and important selection attributes regarding medical tourism. After conducting cluster analyses, three segments are emerged and named high risk perceivers, medium risk perceivers, and low risk perceivers based on the level of perceived risk. It was found that contacting practitioner post-procedure is the most important risk reduction strategy, followed by physician or staff biography and education, accrediation, reference to number of international patients, use of testimonials, logo-/branding symbol of medical tourism agencies, and logo-branding symbol of medical facility. In terms of medical tourism destination selection attributes, quality of medical service is the most salient attribute, followed by hygiene, potential for saving, legal and regulatory environment for patient protection, political stability, economic stability, tourism opportunities, and accessibility. The results of ANOVA reveal that the three groups are not statistically different in terms of the more important risk reduction strategies and the destination selection attributes. However, they are statistically different in terms of the less important strategies and selection attributes. In addition, cross tabulation reveal that the three segment are significantly different in terms of marital status, age, education level, and annual household income indicating the importance of demographic information in marketing medical tourism..