Citation

Islam, Faruqul and Sarwar, Abdullah and Khan @ Thandar Oo, Nasreen (2025) Medical Tourism in Malaysia: Community Perspectives on Quality of Life and Healthcare Accessibility. Sustainability, 17 (3). p. 1226. ISSN 2071-1050

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Abstract

This study explores the intricate relationship between the growth of medical tourism in Malaysia and its impacts on the local community, particularly focusing on residents’ quality of life. Malaysia’s status as a competitive destination for affordable, highquality healthcare services has led to significant economic growth, including increased healthcare revenue, job creation, and infrastructure improvements. However, the influx of foreign patients has raised concerns regarding healthcare accessibility for locals and the strain on local resources. Data from 361 respondents were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that medical tourism positively affects economic performance, with a significant path coefficient (β = 0.434, p < 0.01), showing a strong correlation between economic benefits and perceived improvement from medical tourism development. Similarly, personal benefits from the industry have a positive influence on quality of life (β = 0.202, p < 0.05). However, this study also reveals that attitudes towards medical tourism do not significantly impact residents’ perceptions of quality of life (β = 0.057, p > 0.05), highlighting social disparities in how different groups experience the effects of this industry. The findings suggest that while medical tourism offers economic advantages, challenges such as reduced healthcare access for locals and the growing commercialization of healthcare must be addressed. This study concludes with recommendations for sustainable policy interventions to balance the economic growth of medical tourism with the well-being of local communities.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Medical tourism, Malaysia; quality of life, healthcare system
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD72-88 Economic growth, development, planning R Medicine > RZ Other systems of medicine
Divisions:	Faculty of Business (FOB)
Depositing User:	Ms Rosnani Abd Wahab
Date Deposited:	06 Mar 2025 01:42
Last Modified:	06 Mar 2025 01:42
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/13584

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