Study of New Business Model for the Medical Tourism in Taiwan: A Health Examining Business Orientation

Abstract

　　觀光醫療已經是亞洲各國極力發展的重點產業，也是台灣近來積極發展的重點產業之一，而在亞洲觀光醫療產業發展上，各國也各自發展特色醫療，如治療目的的重症醫療（關節置換或器官移植等）、美容目的（醫美整形、變性手術）或鎖定預防醫學族群（健康檢查或spa等），而在台灣醫療服務業於健保發展多年下，已具備足夠醫療實力及服務品質，然台灣醫療業者在面對健保赤字及多項管制下，多年前已開始發展自費高單價健檢服務，且已有既定鎖定台灣內需市場之商業模式。 本研究目的為探討在觀光醫療商機中，以健檢產業為發展主軸之發展策略及商業模式。主要以台灣已發展健檢產業良好之業者為個案，來探討其現行商業模式作為觀光醫療方向之延伸可行性，本研究透過文獻分析及個案業者訪談之研究方法，來了解觀光醫療產業中健檢產業之商業模式，並由業者角度提出期待政策需求，並進一步提出對業者及政府之建議。 　　本研究從全球觀光醫療發展狀況及台灣健檢醫療個案以商業模式分析，並業者訪談，研究結果顯示：一、觀光醫療是亞洲各國發展重點，但台灣政策仍缺乏有力行銷策略來拓展國際知名度。二、大陸高階市場具成長潛力，鎖定高階服務，台灣優質健檢醫療有利基。三、業者以因應健保困境而建立的商業模式，延伸至觀光醫療市場，但舊有商業模式似乎對新市場吸引力道不足。四、台灣觀光醫療品牌之國際形象，仍有待建立，政府應快速指派專責單位整合政策配套與民間資源，作聚焦性行銷。 　　依據個案研究及訪談結果，針對政府及業者分別提出未來建議方向：建議政府需盡速成立專責單位針對觀光醫療政策作更好的整合，透過資源整合將台灣醫療打造國際品牌形象，而在發展政策上，政府不可僅仰賴自由經濟示範區中的國際醫療專區規畫來發展觀光醫療產業，現階段健康檢查是目前台灣業者在觀光醫療相關服務項目中建構最完整的領域，政府應該針對業者提出中短期的配套政策來鼓勵及支援，讓業者更能於現有基礎下，有更有的發揮空間。而對於業者則建議應該重新檢視目前的商業模式，重新了解目標消費者需求，將服務流程再作創新後，聚焦目標大陸市場後，掌握商機。　　Medical Tourism is one of the key developing industries in Asia countries, also the major developing industry in Taiwan these years. Asia countries focus on specific fields of medical tourism, such as the treatment of severe medical symptom (joint replacement or organ transplant etc.), cosmetic purposes (plastic surgery, sex reassignment surgery) or preventive medicine (health examining, or spa, etc.). Taiwan has established a complete medical environment to provide sufficient service and capability due to the experience of the National Health Insurance. However, the financial defect of National Health Insurance system results in financial deficit of National Health Insurance. The operators of hospital and clinics have been developing own expense health examination in Taiwan’s local medical market to face the situation. 　　This study aimed to explore business opportunities in medical tourism, especially in the health examining orientation. Cases in this study not only developed outstanding health examining industry in Taiwan, but also owned the positive attitude to develop medical tourism. This study aimed to investigate extending feasibility of the current business model from the medical tourism perspective. This research investigates through the literature analysis and case study as the research methods to understand the business model of the medical tourism industry in health examining orientation. Besides, this research collects the opinions from operators’ point of views to present to industry and government. 　　In this study, we investigated from the overview of the development of global medical tourism to the case study of Taiwan health examination. The preliminary results show: Firstly, medical tourism is the Asian countries development priorities, but Taiwan's policy still lacks a strong marketing strategy to expand our international reputation. Secondly, China market with high growth potential, locked high service, high-quality health examination of Taiwan has niches. Thirdly, the established business model for Taiwan domestic market is not attracted to extending to the medical tourism market. Fourthly, the international image of Taiwan Medical Tourism brand is still needed to be established, Taiwan government should appoint a dedicated unit to integrate all resources to develop a focused strategy. Based on case studies and interviews, we provide suggestions to both industry and government. We suggest that Taiwan government should immediately appoint a dedicated unit to integrate all resources to develop a better strategy and establish the international brand of Taiwan medical service. About the policy of medical tourism, government shouldn’t only focus on the project of medical tourism zone of “Free Economic Zone” for future development. Till now, the best one of the services related to medical tourism in Taiwan is the service of health examination. Taiwan government should make a proposal for industry to encourage and support them to persistently invest in medical tourism. In addition, we suggest that industry should re-investigate the original business model. They could try to investigate the needs of target customer and re-structure the service process, then focus on target market-China to get the future opportunities