| Selling medical travel to US patient-consumers: the cultural appeal of website marketing messages. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 21563007 Owner: NLM Status: In-Data-Review |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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More US-based patients than ever are travelling abroad for medical or dental services. Beyond financial incentives, what cultural factors have supported this trend? Because of their interest in selling medical travel, medical travel agencies (MTAs) have vested interests in this question. To find out how they are answering it, an ethnographic content analysis of MTA websites was undertaken. Beyond themes promoting a 'worry-free experience' of 'legitimate services', themes linking healthcare consumerism to culturally specific identity ideals and self-creation/representation processes predominated. Themes relating to the demonstration of social position, savvy expression of good consumer judgment, and achievement of libertarian ideals figured highly. However, various inconsistencies (including an appeal to tourism in some but not other situations) suggested that medical travel involves, for the US-based consumer, a complex act of juggling context-specific self-identity desires and expectations in relation to healthcare. The potential impact of prevailing discourses on 'self-construction-in-practice' was explored. Findings enhance understanding of the care seeking process as experienced within the context of globalized, mass-mediated healthcare consumerism. They also point to the need for finer-grained distinctions than the global gloss 'medical travel' offers. |
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Authors:
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Elisa J Sobo; Elizabeth Herlihy; Mary Bicker |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Anthropology & medicine Volume: 18 ISSN: 1469-2910 ISO Abbreviation: Anthropol Med Publication Date: 2011 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2011-05-12 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9709920 Medline TA: Anthropol Med Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 119-36 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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