Mirmohammad Asadi; Hamed Fallah-Tafti; Mahdieh Zahmatkesh-Saredorahi; Maryam Roasaei
Abstract
Introduction: Supply chain management (SCM) is one of the management approaches to provide products and services to users in a timely manner. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors related to health tourism supply chain in Yazd, Iran using structural equation modeling (SEM).Methods: This ...
Read More
Introduction: Supply chain management (SCM) is one of the management approaches to provide products and services to users in a timely manner. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors related to health tourism supply chain in Yazd, Iran using structural equation modeling (SEM).Methods: This was a descriptive study. To collect the data, a survey approach was used that included the opinions of health experts and tourists. To develop the survey instrument, library studies and Delphi method were used, which according to the experts, 37 final factors were used to design the questionnaire. Ensuring the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, 330 health tourists in Yazd were solicited through the survey. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), 7 major components were extracted and named based on items; this way, a structural model of the study was formed, which was fitted in the process of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the significance of the components was confirmed.Results: According to the amount of variance explained, the standards of medical service centers with 32.358, information technology with 14.696, banking with 7.63, attractions with 5.48, international standards with a value of 4.612, the diversity of health services with a value of 2.820, and government programs with a value of 1.952, respectively, had the most significant effect on the health tourism supply chain in Yazd.Conclusion: The final output of this study was a measurement model of health tourism supply chain in Yazd Province, in which the factors were categorized and suggestions were made to improve the factors.
Hamed Fallah-Tafti; Mahdieh Zahmatkesh-Saredorahi
Abstract
Introduction: Many cities in Iran have specialized human resources and appropriate medical facilities, and have the potential to attract tourists. What is essential in realizing these capacities is the recognition of tourists' mental image of the potentials of therapeutic tourism destinations. The purpose ...
Read More
Introduction: Many cities in Iran have specialized human resources and appropriate medical facilities, and have the potential to attract tourists. What is essential in realizing these capacities is the recognition of tourists' mental image of the potentials of therapeutic tourism destinations. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the development of therapeutic tourism.Methods: The study was a descriptive survey in Tehran, Iran, during summer and autumn of 2018 and winter of 2019. First, 38 factors influencing the development of therapeutic tourism were identified, and then by Delphi method, 34 factors were identified for formulating a questionnaire. With the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, a sample of 432 health tourists in Tehran with a history of frequent referral were selected randomly. Data analysis was performed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods.Results: By factor analysis, six main components were identified as factors affecting the development of therapeutic tourism. The factors affecting the development of tourism were as the quantity of health services (human resources and facilities available), quality of health services, living conditions, amenities and tourism, socio-cultural characteristics, advertising, and information.Conclusion: Despite the importance of quantity and quality of health services, due to the increasing demand for travel, patients traveling to receive treatment need more services, and consider the level of service development in different aspects. One-dimensional attention to the expansion of health care cannot guarantee the development of this type of tourism, and the supply of other tourist needs, such as recreation, favorable living conditions, and pleasant memories, is a sufficient condition for development.
