چكيده لاتين
Medical tourism is recognized as one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing sectors of the service industry in the 21st century. The development of this industry is influenced not only by technological innovations in the medical field but also depends on the overall innovation environment in each country. Among these factors, the role of digital technologies, especially telemedicine, is undeniable as a facilitator and enabler in delivering integrated and efficient services to medical tourists. This study examines the role of telemedicine in the development of medical tourism in Greater Tehran. The main objective is to investigate the impact of remote services on medical tourism development in this region. From the perspective of purpose, this research is applied-developmental, and in terms of nature, it is library-based, survey-based, descriptive, and analytical. The statistical population includes experts, professors, and specialists in the field of health tourism. The sample size was selected using a snowball sampling method. Data analysis began with questionnaires and interviews to identify telemedicine indicators in Greater Tehran’s medical tourism by experts and specialists in health tourism. These indicators were categorized into eight main indicators and 64 sub-indicators. To study the influence and interrelationships among these indicators, the fuzzy DEMATEL method was employed. For prioritizing and ranking the indicators, AHP and ANP methods were used, revealing that information quality and communication indicators have the highest priority. Other indicators, such as digital infrastructure development, technology acceptance, information system management, telemedicine training, advertising and marketing, use of digital infrastructure, and remote business management services, respectively follow in priority. Using the Strategic Factor Analysis Summary (SFAS) model, the study identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with each factor. Based on short-, medium-, and long-term planning for each factor, appropriate strategies were proposed. Finally, considering the results of the applied techniques, recommendations were provided across different time horizons. Among the most important are strengthening communication infrastructure to build trust among foreign patients and accelerate services, establishing international scientific collaborations, enhancing Tehran’s brand as a regional medical hub, and designing skill development courses and workshops to familiarize healthcare staff with telemedicine technologies.
