Sustainable Quality Practices in Medical Tourism: Balancing Profit, Ethics, and Patient Safety

Medical tourism offers advanced healthcare services at an affordable cost. In recent years, India has witnessed remarkable growth in the field of medical tourism. The sector is providing immense opportunities to the service providers and generating significant profits. However, while earning profits, it is also essential for service providers to ensure patient safety and deliver quality care. The study attempts to explore how service providers can adopt quality practices to balance ethical standards and patient well-being. The main objective of the study is to identify the key dimensions of sustainable quality practices in medical tourism and to understand patients’ perceptions regarding patient safety and overall satisfaction. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from reputed hospitals in the Delhi-NCR region that attract foreign patients. Data were collected from 136 respondents using a 5-point Likert scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and regression analysis were applied to analyze the data. Patient safety and ethical behavior have played a crucial role in the overall satisfaction of foreign patients. Patients prefer transparency and safety protocols in hospitals. They favor hospitals that follow safety and ethical standards, as these hospitals are able to build a long-term reputation for sustainable practices. The study concludes that, in order to attain sustainable quality practices, healthcare providers need to align with patient expectations regarding ethical responsibilities.