Ethical responsibilities of facilitating agents in international medical tourism

Authors

  • Mario Alberto de la Puente Pacheco Profesor del Departamento de Ciencia Política y Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia.

Keywords:

medical tourism, bioethics, health tourism, international accreditation, standarization

Abstract

This article investigates the risks and responsibilities of international medical agents from a theoretical—critical perspective. Through a qualitative—descriptive method, the causes and consequences of the uncertainty generated by the industry are determined based on the scarcity of information, the asymmetry of the information, and the limited international institutionality that allows an unregulated dynamic actions. It is found that international accreditation in medical and administrative processes, as well as the standardization of internationally accepted protocols for the recruitment of foreign patients can limit the distortions typical of a growing mixed industry.

Author Biography

Mario Alberto de la Puente Pacheco, Profesor del Departamento de Ciencia Política y Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia.

Profesor del Departamento de Ciencia Política y Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia. Doctor en Análisis Económico Aplicado por la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Miembro del grupo de investigación Agenda Internacional avalado por Colciencias. Contacto: mdelapuente@uninorte.edu.co.

Published

2017-10-03

Issue

Section

Original reflection article