A phenomenological analysis of medical tourism: Investigating the lived experience of returning to Canada after osseointegration abroad

Abstract

Background: Travel out of country for medical care is increasing for many reasons including costs, wait-lists, and availability of procedures. Until 2018, when the surgery was offered in only 1 province, Canadians with amputation wanting osseointegration (OI) had to travel out of country for the surgery. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experience of accessing health care in Canada after having a procedure performed out of country. Methods: This is a phenomenological study of persons with amputation who had OI outside of Canada. The grand tour interview question was “What was it like travelling to another country for OI surgery and then returning to access follow-up care in Canada?” Results: There were 5 participants, and 5 themes emerged: (1) lack of support from Canadian physicians; (2) exceptional support from prosthetists and other members of the health care team; (3) continued reliance on the country where the procedure was initially performed; (4) self-advocacy for access to care; and (5) benefits of travelling outweighing the problems faced. Conclusions: These themes are not unique to OI, but to medical tourism as a whole. The lack of support was countered partly by a strong sense of self-advocacy from the participants and support from other members of the health care team.