Interpretation of Inclusive Design Framework approaches based on interviews with expert respondents from the medical tourism industry.
Inclusive Design Framework component
Analytical category (based on interview)
Typical respondent quotes
Interpretation for digital medical tourism
User diversity
Recognition of different physical and psychological conditions of patients (in particular, military persons, internally displaced, and persons with disabilities)
“Our online platforms should be accessible to both young and older people with visual or hearing impairments.”
The need to create adaptive interfaces and multi-format content (audio, subtitles, simplified text).
Equity
Expanding barrier-free access to online consultations, telemedicine, and support chats
“After the war began, we simplified registration and added a free online consultation feature for veterans.”
Inclusion as an element of social responsibility for clinics builds trust in the brand.
Flexibility in use
Multi-platform solutions (chatbots, mobile apps, video consultations)
“Patients choose the format themselves—chat, call, or video. This increases satisfaction and reduces the number of refusals.”
Digital flexibility as a factor in increasing accessibility and loyalty.
Cognitive accessibility
Reducing information overload, simplifying the interface
“Patients should not get lost in medical terminology. We test messages for clarity.”
Communication simplicity is the key to expanding the inclusiveness of the service.
Human–AI collaboration
Using algorithms for personalized care, detecting warning signs, and supporting caregivers
“The results of human-AI collaboration can provide smart intervention to help caregivers and patients, especially in rehabilitation.”
Intelligent systems support personalized сare, provide safe digital interventions, and monitor patient status.
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.
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