Ethical considerations regarding medical tourism in Iran: a qualitative study

Nasrin  Abbasi; Leila  Afshar; Mehrzad  Kiani; Shabnam  Bazmi

doi:10.18502/jmehm.v19i3.21772

Nasrin Abbasi PhD Candidate in Medical Ethics, Medical Ethics Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Leila Afshar Professor, Department of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mehrzad Kiani Professor, Department of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Shabnam Bazmi Professor, Department of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jmehm.v19i3.21772

Keywords: Medical tourism; Health tourism; Medical ethics; Bioethics; Qualitative study.

Abstract

The rapid growth of medical tourism, the provision of elective healthcare across borders, has raised complex ethical challenges. In Iran, the significant expansion of this industry can be attributed to advanced expertise and relatively low costs. This qualitative study examined the critical ethical issues in medical tourism in Iran through semi-structured interviews with purposively selected ethics scholars, managers, healthcare providers, facilitators, and international patients, using maximum variation sampling. Data were transcribed, analyzed, and refined through expert consensus, yielding 215 meaning units. Analyses revealed four thematic domains: rights and ethical entitlements of stakeholders; financial responsibility and economic equity; sociocultural determinants of ethical practice; and governance and regulatory accountability, with governance and regulation—particularly legislative gaps and weak coordination—emerging as the top ethical concern. Findings demonstrate the need for coherent policies and ethical frameworks to safeguard stakeholder rights, integrate ethics into planning, and align practices with both local values and global standards.