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Health Ministry Website Rules and Trust in Iran's Health Tourism
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Seyed Shahabodin Hedayati   |
| in Tourism Management, Faculty of Humanities, Payame Noor University of Karaj, Alborz, Iran |
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Abstract: (12 Views) |
Background: Health tourism is a strategic industry, and websites, as the first point of contact for cross-border patients, play an important role in building trust and developing its supply chain. This study aimed to investigate the role of the criteria of websites approved by the Ministry of Health in building trust and developing the health tourism supply chain in Iran.
Methods: The study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey and correlational in nature. The statistical population consisted of 120 experts, specialists, and decision-makers in the fields of health tourism websites, digital trust-building, and regulation by the Ministry of Health, who were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale. Content validity was confirmed by the opinions of ten professors, and reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.91. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with SPSS and AMOS.
Findings: Among the components of the Ministry of Health's website criteria, determining the average length of hospital stay, with a coefficient of 0.92, had the highest correlation, while determining the method of payment of costs, with a coefficient of 0.44, had the lowest correlation. The measurement model of the website criteria had a good fit (RMSEA = 0, CFI = 1).
Conclusion: Despite the favorable statistical fit, the existing criteria in the area of digital trust-building (including transparency of treatment outcomes, provision of previous patients' views and experiences, international quality certificates, and integration of medical and tourism services) face serious shortcomings. Therefore, revising the criteria for websites approved by the Ministry of Health and aligning them with international standards is essential to achieve the goals of the Seventh Development Plan. These measures can improve the transparency and trust of medical and tourism services. |
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| Keywords: Digital Health, Medical Tourism, Medical Tourism organization and administration |
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Full-Text [PDF 1007 kb]
(6 Downloads)
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Letter: Original Article |
Subject:
General
Received: 2026/06/25 | Accepted: 2026/07/28 | ePublished ahead of print: 2026/10/6
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