Medical tourism and trust: towards an agenda for research

Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that trust relations are crucial to healthcare in relation to its use, provision and organization. The body of literature about medical tourism, however, has tended not to explore trust relations, suggesting either it is not salient in this context or it has been overlooked. This chapter argues for the latter, suggesting that trust relations are fundamental to understanding the use, provision and organization of healthcare because trust is a common means for managing and bridging the uncertainties and unpredictabilities that are inherent in it. These uncertainties and unpredictabilities might be exacerbated in the context of healthcare provided in an unfamiliar setting. This chapter explores the importance of trust and trust relations in the study of medical tourism, setting out an agenda for future research in this field.