Complicating common ideas about medical tourism: gender, class, and globality in Yemenis' international medical travel.

Three cases of international medical travelers from Yemen, a capital­poor country in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula, help to counter misconceptions within discussions of medical tourism. These misconceptions include the suggestion of leisure in medical tourism, the role of gender and class, and the ease with which we dismiss the health concerns of wealthy individuals. Instead, this article proposes, we should uncover commonalities and differences within international medical travel while avoiding slipping into generalities and stereotypical portrayals.

Traveling for medical care in a global world.

The international medical travel of Yemenis provides insight on terminology and models to use for the growing global phenomenon. Terminology for medical travelers ranges from "medical tourists" to "medical exiles." Differing models prioritize the global arena in which transnational medical travel occurs as (1) a global medical marketplace, (2) a global medical commons, (3) interlinked nation-states, and (4) national or global citizens. Medical anthropology has a specific role in uncovering the lived experiences of patients who travel to often unfamiliar destinations to pursue care believed capable of alleviating suffering.

Hope from Abroad in the International Medical Travel of Yemeni Patients.

Studies of care-seeking behaviour have generally focused only on the medical facilities that are available within a country's national boundaries. However, a growing number of patients worldwide are pursuing medical services outside of their own countries. The burgeoning literature on 'medical tourism' tends to offer the perspectives of the treatment destinations, not the experiences of patients. This paper examines the international medical travel of patients from the capital-poor country of Yemen. Families in Yemen often sacrifice greatly to seek the advanced, trustworthy technological medicine that is unavailable locally. The paper draws on interviews conducted with 71 Yemeni medical travellers in India and Jordan, as well as a survey of 205 doctors in Yemen about their disclosure practices regarding terminally ill patients. While perhaps an attractive option in today's global world, the use of medical services abroad affects local perceptions: it perpetuates a lack of trust in local capabilities, invites criticism of the government for not providing care to its citizens and fosters the hope that a cure exists somewhere in the world.

Therapeutic itineraries in a global world: Yemenis and their search for biomedical treatment abroad.

Focusing upon how Yemenis travel to Jordan and other countries for medical reasons, this article explores a variety of issues and experiences pertaining to care-seeking abroad. Topics include state support for treatment outside the country, links between countries that facilitate movements, therapeutic reputations leading to destination selection, medical travelers' funding and logistical decisions, and notions of "good" patient care. The study is set within a context of increasing globalization, where advances in communication, transportation, and medical devices and procedures all contribute to people's ideas about where to go for medical care. As such, it extends care-seeking research beyond local services and national boundaries.