臺、日透析旅遊之比較初探

A Preliminary Comparison Study of Dialysis Travel between Taiwan and Japan

醫療觀光是全球新興的熱門產業，依據世界旅遊組織的定義，以醫療護理、疾病與健康、康復與修養為題的旅遊服務都可稱為醫療觀光。臺灣政府看好醫療觀光的前景，2007年至2013年間共推出醫療服務國際化旗艦計畫、健康照護升值白金方案、台灣醫療服務國際化行動計畫等主要項目。在上述計畫之外，有鑑於臺灣洗腎人數持續成長，且洗腎者與一般人一樣具有旅遊需求，本研究乃以醫療觀光為背景，透析旅遊為主題，探討臺灣與日本的透析旅遊。本研究為探索性研究，採文件分析法，提出以下結論：1、政府對於透析旅遊的資源挹注不若其他醫療觀光重點項目，如心臟搭橋；2、洗腎者亦有旅遊需求，若能視個案狀況進行妥適的透析旅遊行程規劃，可助其滿足需求並提升生活品質；3、受限於洗腎者的體力、透析時間、醫療院所安排、食宿等多重因素，僅有少數旅行社提供客製化的透析旅遊行程。最後提出建議予政府相關單位、醫療業者、旅行業者及後續研究者。

Medical tourism is a newly developed and now global industry. According to the definition of World Tourism Organization, medical tourism is tourism associated with travel to health spas or resort destinations where the primary purpose is to improve travelers' physical well-being through regimen of physical exercise and therapy, dietary control, and medical services relevant to health maintenance. Taiwan government is optimistic about the prosperity of medical tourism and believes that it can bring working opportunities, increase national income, promote medical and tourism industries, and began to develop international medical services since 2007. Given that the population of hemodialysis in Taiwan continues to grow, and they have travel needs like other people, this study takes dialysis travel as an example to explore the medical tourism industry of Taiwan and Japan via document analysis. The conclusions are: (1) from the government: compared with other medical tourism items like CABG, dialysis travel receives less resources and support; (2) from medical practitioners' view: people who receive dialysis treatment have travel needs too; customized dialysis travel will help meet the needs and improve their life quality; (3) from tourism industry's standpoint: people who receive dialysis treatment need regular treatments three times a week, and their physical strength varies, and only few travel agencies could provide customized and appropriate itinerary. Concrete suggestions are also provided to relevant government authority, medical practitioners, tourism industries, and follow-up researchers.