The relationship between hypotheses, methods, and theoretical foundations.
Hypotheses
Research methods
Analysis
Theoretical foundations
H1: Patients who have access to modern digital tools rate their medical tourism experience much higher
Online surveys (use of mobile applications, telemedicine, chatbots)
Descriptive statistics, comparison of user/non-user groups
Diffusion of Innovations
H2: Insufficient inclusiveness and accessibility of digital services are key barriers for patients with disabilities and victims of war
Surveys (access barriers), expert interviews
Sample segmentation (veterans, people with disabilities, civilians), qualitative comparison
Inclusive Design Framework, Social Model of Disability
H3: The high level of digitalization in clinics (telemedicine, mobile applications, online support) has a positive impact on patients’ willingness to choose the clinic again
Surveys (criteria for deciding whether to reapply), expert interview
Correlation between level of digitalization and “intention to return”
SERVQUAL model, CRM theory
H4: Ukrainian patients see potential for the development of digital medical tourism based on international practices, especially in the rehabilitation and inclusion segment
Comparative analysis with survey, modeling
Comparing patients’ expectations with global practices
LB: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. IM: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. AR: Validation, Writing—review & editing, Supervision. All authors read and approved the submitted version.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Ethical approval
The study involved an anonymous patient survey and semi-structured expert interviews focusing on the digital patient journey. No personal identifiers or sensitive medical data were collected, and participation posed no risk to participants.
In accordance with national regulations and institutional guidelines, formal ethical approval from an ethics committee or institutional review board was not required, as the study was based on voluntary, anonymous participation and did not involve any medical intervention or collection of identifiable data.
The research was conducted in full compliance with the ethical principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (2013), including respect for participants, voluntariness, confidentiality, and protection of personal information.
Consent to participate
All participants provided informed consent prior to participation in the study. For patients, informed consent was obtained electronically before completing the questionnaire. For expert participants, informed consent was obtained prior to the interviews. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed about the purpose of the study, the anonymous nature of data collection, and their right to withdraw at any time without consequences.
Consent to publication
Not applicable.
Availability of data and materials
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to confidentiality and anonymity assurances given to participants. Aggregated anonymized survey data on digital services in medical tourism, collected via Google Forms, are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Open Exploration maintains a neutral stance on jurisdictional claims in published institutional affiliations and maps. All opinions expressed in this article are the personal views of the author(s) and do not represent the stance of the editorial team or the publisher.
References
World Health Organization. Global strategy on digital health 2020-2025. Digital Health and Innovation (DHI); 2021.
Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [Internet].United Nations; [cited 2026 Jan 10]. Available from: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
Ben Khizzou N, Aarabe M, Bouizgar M, Alla L, Benjelloun A. The Digital Transformation of Medical Tourism: A Systematic and Bibliometric Review of the Literature. In: Hassan V, Singh A, Jaboob A, Sorayyaei Azar A, editors. Revolutionizing Healthcare Experience With Digital Medical Tourism. IGI Global Scientific Publishing; pp. 355–82. [DOI]
Heaslip V, Holley D. Ensuring digital inclusion.Clin Integr Care. 2023;17:100141. [DOI]
Bovsh LA, Hopkalo LM, Rasulova AM. Digital Relationship Marketing Strategies of Medical Tourism Entities. In: Bouarar A, Mouloudj K, Martínez Asanza D, editors. Integrating Digital Health Strategies for Effective Administration. IGI Global Scientific Publishing; pp. 133–50. [DOI]
Bovsh L, Hopkalo L, Tonkonoh I, Mouloudj K, Bouarar AC, Mechta M. Sustainable Competitive Edge in Rehabilitation Hospitality: Insights From Ukraine. In: Rodrigues P, Borges A, Vieira E, Tavares V, editors. Compelling Storytelling Narratives for Sustainable Branding. IGI Global Scientific Publishing; 2024. pp. 343–65. [DOI]
Yin C, McIntosh J, Marques B. Integrating digital health technologies and place attachment: theoretical foundations and practical implications.Explor Digit Health Technol. 2025;3:101160. [DOI]
Coleman R, Clarkson J, Dong H, Cassim J. Design for inclusivity: a practical guide to accessible, innovative and user-centred design. In: Cooper R, editor. Design for social responsibility series. London: Routledge; 2016.
Li Z, Luo Z, Zou N, Xie B, He D. Human–AI Collaboration for Identifying Health Information Wants. In: Wu D, Liang S, editors. Human-AI Interaction and Collaboration. Cambridge University Press; 2025. pp. 213–38. [DOI]
Shakespeare T. Disability Rights and Wrongs. London: Routledge; 2006. [DOI]
Parasuraman A, Zeithaml VA, Berry LL. SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality.J Retail. 1988;64:12–40.
Zimeras S. Quality Based on a Spatial SERVQUAL Model in Healthcare. In: Lazakidou A, Daskalaki A, editors. Quality Assurance in Healthcare Service Delivery, Nursing and Personalized Medicine: Technologies and Processes. IGI Global Scientific Publishing; 2012. pp. 209–19. [DOI]
Alharbi MRM, Alanezi BMM, Aljohani FFM, Almatuiri MHE, Aldhafeiri GAO, Al.Harbi BS, et al. Harbi BS, et al. The impact of digital transformation on healthcare service quality and sustainability enhancement: An analytical study in the Saudi context.Power Syst Technol. 2024;48:4.
Chen LH, Chen CH, Loverio JP, Wang MJ, Lee LH, Hou YP. Examining Soft and Hard Attributes of Health Care Service Quality and Their Impacts on Patient Satisfaction and Loyalty.Qual Manag Health Care. 2024;33:176–91. [DOI] [PubMed]
Indhupriya N, Gnanaselvi G. Impact of digital transformation on healthcare sector. In: Sathiyabama MV, Indira Priyadharshini B, Kiruthika T, Ponsabariraj N, editors. Proceedings of Digital transformation – A Sustainable Approach; 2024 Jul 19; Pollachi: NGM College; 2024. pp.153–63.
Giovanoli C. Cloud service quality model: A cloud service quality model based on customer and provider perceptions for cloud service mediation. In: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Cloud Computing and Services Science; 2019 May 2–4; Heraklion, Greece. SciTePress; 2019. pp. 241–8. [DOI]
Kumar V, Reinartz W. Customer relationship management.In: Concept, strategy, and tools. 3rd ed. Heidelberg: Springer Berlin; 2018. [DOI]
Parveen A, Kannan G. Healthcare transformed: a comprehensive survey of artificial intelligence trends in healthcare industries.In: Digital Healthcare in Asia and Gulf Region for Healthy Aging and More Inclusive Societies. Academic Press; 2024. pp. 395–424. [DOI]
Varadarajan R. Inclusive innovations in services: leveraging digital technologies for inclusive innovations in healthcare services.Eur J Mark. 2024;58:107–29. [DOI]
Wong BKM, Bastrygina T. Healthcare travel resilience through digital healthcare adoption: lessons from Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic.In: Digital Healthcare in Asia and Gulf Region for Healthy Aging and More Inclusive Societies. Academic Press; 2024. pp. 241–63. [DOI]
Kaminska T, Oleksiuk O, Komorovsky R, Gladkikh F. The role of Ukrainian healthcare in the global medical services market: growth factors in the context of globalization.Bull VN Karazin Kharkiv Natl Univ. 2024;32:440–50. [DOI]
Teremetskyi V, Astafiev D, Mosondz S, Pakhnin M, Bodnar-Petrovska O, Igonin R, et al. Medical tourism as a driver of Ukraine’s economic recovery: pre-war experience and strategic guidelines for the post-war period.Georgian Med News. 2025;4:94–103. [PubMed]
