A Study on Medical Tourism Industry

[[abstract]]近年來由於自己國家醫療費用昂貴，住院手術等待時間太久，缺乏先進醫療技術或因法律的限制而無法執行的醫療行為或無法得到新藥的嘗試等原因，跨越國境尋求國際醫療服務的個人愈來愈多，醫療產業因而逐漸興起，加上國際醫療服務提供者將這國際醫療服務結合當地的觀光特色而形成所謂的「醫療觀光」。1980年代後半開始，世界經濟活動走入全球化，隨著國際貿易的發展，資金、物資及人的跨國流動更頻繁，這股潮流也波及到服務業。被視為特殊服務產業的醫療服務也隨勢蓬勃發展。依McKinsey & Company的預估2012年將達1000億美元的產值，這是一個很大商機，全球有四大洲約50個國家投入該市場，其中以亞洲最為興隆。由於全球化，日本企業為降低生產成本，提高產品競爭力，增加海外直接投資，造成國內產業空洞化。政府為提振地域經濟，創造就業機會，菅直人政府於2010年6月18日經內閣決議作成「新成長戰略」國家經濟政策，發展國際醫療。本論文主要在研究日本發展國際醫療的各種面相。以五個方向來進行：（一）關注醫療觀光和全球化的關係，（二）了解世界各地醫療觀光的發展概况，（三）發掘在亞洲發展醫療觀光的主要國家，其成功的要素及其背後的醫療問題，（四）確認日本發展醫療觀光的戰略，（五）發掘日本發展醫療觀光的競爭力和問題。最後以日本醫療觀光的研究結果來檢討台灣在醫療觀光上的發展並提出建議。[[abstract]]A Study on Medical Tourism Industry Abstract In late years becaue of factors of remarkable rise in the medical expenses being on the waiting list for surgery non-existence of the high quality medical care or not being able to get a certain medical care due to legal constraints in one’s own country and individuals seeking an overseas health care service increasingly a medical industry is booming In addition countries providing an international health care service link the international health care service to the local sightseeing to develop so-called "Medical Tourism" Worldwide economy has globalized since the late 1980s Movement of "capitals" "matirials" and "people" beyond the border has become more active by development of the international trade and it is the reason why there is an impact on "Service Industry" Following the trend as a result an international health care service considered to be a special service industry is prospering Production of "Medical Tourism" reaches 100 billion dollars accordoring to an estimate of McKinsey & Company in 2012 For big business approximately 50 countries in four continents are involved in medical tourism throughout the world Owing to globalization Japanese companies have increased direct investment overseas and enhanced the competitiveness of industrial goods in order to decrease production cost and it resulted in deindustrialization in the country The Naoto Kan government adopted "New Growth Strategy" at a Cabinet meeting on June 18th 2010 To boost regional economy and increase employment the government raised "Medical Tourism" as one of the strategies of the national economic policies This paper is to study five aspects of Japanese medical tourism The first is to understand the relationship between medical tourism and globalization The second is to understand the general situation of the medical tourism in foreign countries The third is to identify the factors of the success and the medical problems behind in the main countries that are developing medical tourism in Asia The fourth is to confirm the development of the medical tourism strategy in Japan The Fifth is to discover competitiveness and problems of the medical tourism in Japan Finally the result of the study is used to examine enforcement of the medical tourism in Taiwan and provide the government with some advic