Young people's social representations about medical tourism: discriminant analysis

Abstract

The article considers the category of «medical tourism» as one of the promising sectors of the socio-economic development of a particular country (whether developed or developing). It is noted that the industry is undergoing a number of significant changes under the influence of factors that have arisen over the past three years now. They are the coronavirus pandemic and the tension of the political situation in the country and in the world. Due to restrictions on entry and the rise in the cost of providing medical services, the industry is shifting demand both for medical services themselves and for the countries that are preferred. Undoubtedly, the medical tourism industry needs predictive analysis. Therefore, this study is aimed at building a predictive model, on the basis of which it is possible to assess the prospects for the development of medical tourism, based on the social perceptions and expectations of young people. In the course of the study, it was revealed that the medical tourism industry is studied within the framework of a number of concepts and methods: the theory of queuing, the theory of «gray» systems, the theory of gravity, the analysis of the data shell, the calculation of the Medical Tourism Index (BMI). At the same time, within the framework of the author's study, it is proposed to study the medical tourism industry using discriminant analysis, which makes it possible to identify from a variety of stereotypes those that most influence the prospects for the development of the industry, at the same time determining which ones belong to those young people who believe that industries have development prospects, and which — to those who believe that the prospects are very doubtful. In general, the analysis showed that Russian youth is more oriented towards the Russian market of medical services, and considers a trip abroad to be the prerogative of wealthy people who want to combine health improvement, treatment and recreation.