The effect of the European Union's patients' rights in cross-border healthcare initiative on medical tourism in Thailand

Abstract

To investigate the possible effect of the European Commission proposed directive on the application of patient’s rights in cross-border healthcare on the medical tourism of Thailand through the push and pull factors. Issued in July 2008, the Directive has three working areas: safety and quality, cross-border scheme and European cooperation. If implemented, the Directive would have a direct effect on the push factors that drives EU patients to receive healthcare outside of the community by allowing indirectly solving the problem of the system through allowing patients to receive care in another Member States. The pull factors of medical tourists to come to receive treatment in Thailand, on the other hand, will be affected by change in the responsiveness of the European medical tourists to the pull factors. Through the analysis of the push and pull factors, the effect of the Directive on the Thai industry will be determined. The findings of this thesis are that the Directive will have different impact on the push factors depended on the population group and the countries. Overall, the cross-border movement will be facilitated because of the scheme established and the European co-operation. Some patients will gain more confidence. However, the Directive does not solve the inherent problems of the system, which cause the push factors to be strong. The pull factors, on the other hand, remain largely unaffected. Only in the area of immediate availability that responds to the waiting time will be affected. Particularly, the number of patients from countries with this problem, which are Germany, Sweden and the UK, will partially decrease. The industry will remain overall strong as European medical tourists that come to Thailand come for both travel and treatment.