Travelling abroad to undergo expensive invasive procedures in countries where high-quality, low-cost care is available, e.g., India. The funds saved on the care received are used to sponsor recuperation and vacation in the host country. Medical tourism is a form of outsourcing of health care and is typically used for highly technical, costly surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
The act of pursuing healthcare services, predominantly elective surgical procedures, in a foreign country other than one’s own, commonly referred to as medical tourism. It is important to note that medical tourism should not be conflated with travel medicine, a distinct medical field focusing on disease prevention and the management of medical emergencies for individuals traveling internationally.