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BIJ
20,6
716
Received 16 October 2011
Revised 5 February 2012
Accepted 5 February 2012
Benchmarking: An International
Journal
Vol. 20 No. 6, 2013
pp. 716-743
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1463-5771
DOI 10.1108/BIJ-10-2011-0079
Evaluating medical tourism
enablers with interpretive
structural modeling
Bikash Ranjan Debata and Kumar Sree
Rourkela Institute of Management Studies, Rourkela, India
Bhaswati Patnaik
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,
National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India, and
Siba Sankar Mahapatra
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive framework to identify and
classify key medical tourism enablers (MTEs) and to study the direct and indirect effects of each
enabler on the growth of medical tourism in India.
Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, an integrated approach using interpretive
structural modeling (ISM) and Fuzzy Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un
Classement (FMICMAC) analysis has been developed to identify and classify the key MTEs,
typically identified by a comprehensive review of literature and expert opinion. The key enablers are
also modeled to find their role and mutual influence.
Findings – The key finding of this modeling helps to identify and classify the enablers which may be useful
for medical tourism decision makers to employ this model for formulating strategies in order to overcome
challenges and to become a preferred medical tourism destination. Integrated model reveals enablers such
as medicine insurance coverage, international healthcare collaboration, and efficient information system as
dependent enablers. No enabler is found to be autonomous enablers. The important enablers like healthcare
infrastructure facilities and global competition are found as the linkage enablers. Research in medicine
and pharmaceutical science, medical tourism market, transplantation law, top management commitment,
national healthcare policy, competent medical and para-medical staffs are found as the independent
enablers. Integrated model also establishes the direct and indirect relationship among various enablers.
Originality/value – The research provides an integrated model using ISM and FMICMAC to identify
and classify various key enablers of medical tourism in India. In conventional cross-impact matrix
multiplication applied to classification analysis, binary relationship of various enablers is considered.
FMICMAC analysis helps to establish possibility of relationship among various enablers so that low-key
hidden factors can be identified. The low-key hidden factors may initially exhibit marginal influence
but they may show significant influence later on during analysis. The uncertainty and fuzziness of
relationship among various enablers can be conveniently handled by FMICMAC and expert opinions
can easily be captured. This research will help medical tourism decision makers to select right
enablers for the growth of medical tourism in India.
Keywords FMICMAC, Fuzzy ISM, Medical tourism, Enablers, Interpretive structural modeling
Paper type Research paper
The authors express their deep sense of gratitude to the Editor-in-Chief of Benchmarking:
An International Journal and anonymous reviewers for suggesting constructive suggestions that
helped to improve the technical and literary content of the paper.