For decades, a significant part of the People's Republic of China's technological development relied on its ability to incorporate, adapt, and scale technologies developed in other countries. Building on this foundation, China has pursued a progressive process of accumulating its own research, development, and innovation capabilities, positioning it today among…
South Africa combines a powerful private healthcare sector capable of attracting international patients with a public system under immense pressure. This paradox prompts us to reflect on medical tourism, excellence, and equity.
Brazil showcases different approaches to developing medical tourism. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Recife offer insights into how healthcare capacity, specialization, and location can attract patients and generate economic activity.
Singapore has transformed the capacity and specialization of its healthcare system into an internationally renowned asset. We analyze its strategy for attracting patients, the relationship between tourism and healthcare, and the challenge of balancing international demand with the needs of its own population.
In our previous reflections on the impact of tourism on healthcare, we analyzed how millions of people temporarily traveling to a region can alter its healthcare demand. Because while tourists are not part of the resident population, for a few days or weeks they do become part of the population that may require care…
How to organize healthcare when the population multiplies every summer. The Balearic Islands and Croatia share a very Mediterranean scene. With summer come the sun, flights, ferries, and a population far exceeding that reflected in the resident registers. In the Balearic Islands, the population was around 1,23 million inhabitants at the beginning of…
Every summer, millions of people transform the actual population of major tourist destinations. As the demand for healthcare increases, the system must respond with limited resources and an organization designed for the resident population. Is it enough to simply increase capacity, or is it necessary to rethink how patients access and move within the system?
Japan and Spain share a common concern: maintaining the sustainability of public healthcare. However, both countries understand the role of physicians within the system very differently. Can professional autonomy also become a factor in quality of care and sustainability?
Not all waits are experienced the same. Beyond the accumulated days, there's a question many patients end up asking themselves when all signs and information disappear: "Have they forgotten about me?" A reflection on uncertainty, communication, and patient management during prolonged waits.
Patient wait times and safe healthcare are undoubtedly closely linked. Waiting lists, or rather, waiting times, have traditionally been associated with accessibility, organizational responsiveness, resource availability, and system efficiency. Safety…
What happens to medical semiology in the age of artificial intelligence? A reflection on clinical judgment, trust, clinical reasoning, and how to integrate AI into medical practice without losing what gives meaning to the clinical act.
The cancer treatment phase has changed profoundly. For years, much of the healthcare system has been built around a recognizable image: the patient arriving at the day hospital for chemotherapy. That image still exists, but it is no longer sufficient to explain the current reality. For the purposes of this reflection, the…
