Amirali Kharazmi, Mohamad Rahim Rahnama, Jafar Javan and Mohammad Ajza Shokouhi
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Quality in Primary Care
Iran has been the center of health tourism in the Middle East since far ago and Mashhad is the second metropolis of Iran where medical capabilities and antiquity of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences are infrastructures to attract health tourists in the city. This research aims to analyze the current situation of health tourism indicators in Mashhad based on Porter�s diamond model as well as the prioritization of the requirements to develop health tourism in Mashhad. The research method is applied descriptive survey one. The study population includes foreign tourists which were entered Mashhad during 2014. A sample of 384 people randomly identified and questioned by referring to the health centers and hospitals and also residential centers in Mashhad. Questionnaire is researcher-made and contains 41 questions based on Porter�s model. To analyze the data, SPSS software (one-sample t-test and Friedman analysis) was used. Results showed that based on current situation evaluation, considering that standard level is number 3 according to Likert scale, only two variables, culture and government were estimated in a relatively good state and prioritization results of status quo showed that culture variable (Friedman rank 5.410) and government variable (Friedman Rank 4.987) have had higher ranks in Mashhad, also during analyzing Porter�s diamond model variable�s impact, the higher impacts are related to culture variable (Friedman ranking 5.329) and competitiveness variable (Friedman ranking 4.465).
Amirali Kharazmi is a final year PhD candidate at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran in the field of Urban Planning. His thesis is based on developing Health Tourism in Mashhad city focusing on Porter’s Diamond Model and he has published range of academic papers and translated book in this field.