MEDICAL TOURISM IN POLAND – DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS

Background
People have travelled for treatment-related purposes for a long time. Every year, the demand for such trips increases. The market of travelling because of one’s health is a growing sector of the tourism economics. Poland is a country with a strong potential medicine-wise and may expand its capabilities with proper resource management (legal changes, personnel education, implementing new technologies and global promotion). One of the factors that encourages tourists to come to Poland are the prices of medical procedures – much lower than in other countries in Europe and worldwide.

Material and methods
The study included individuals aged 18 to 56 from seven countries: Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, United Kingdom, Norway and Italy. A diagnostic survey and the questionnaire technique were used.

Results
Poland is visited by tourists of different age and their interest in the travels still grows. Contemporary medical tourism offers a wide range of services and each person (not only the actually ill) may explore them. The main purpose of the travels is health improvement, but there are also arguments regarding “changing oneself,” relaxation and escaping civilization. The examined persons express their dissatisfaction with the state of the buildings at which they stayed during their treatments and personnel preparedness.

Conclusions
Medical tourism in Poland needs to undergo some changes to have a chance of developing on a global scale. Poland is an EU country with low prices of procedures and a high level of medicine.