China's medical tourism has been growing rapidly in recent years, attracting a large number of international patients by virtue of its traditional Chinese medicine features, high-end specialized medical treatments (e.g., oncology, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular, and plastic surgery) and relatively reasonable costs. However, language, visa and follow-up services are still the three core pain points restricting its further development. The following is an analysis of the current situation, challenges and optimization path:
I、Language barrier: the key bottleneck in communication efficiency and trust building
Language barrier directly affects patients' understanding of their condition, choice of treatment plan and doctor-patient trust. International patients generally reflect that inaccurate translation of professional terms and high cost of communication time are the most prominent problems. For example, cancer patients need to accurately understand key information such as pathology reports and surgical risks, which may lead to poor decision-making if translated incorrectly.
(a).Status and Challenges
- The foreign language ability of medical staff varies: most doctors can communicate in English at a basic level, but when it comes to complex medical terminology (e.g., “immune checkpoint inhibitors”, “gene editing”), the accuracy decreases; the coverage of multilingual services in hospitals is insufficient.
- Inadequate coverage of multilingual services in hospitals: only some tertiary hospitals (e.g., Peking Union Medical College and Shanghai Ruijin) provide bilingual consultation and translation of medical records, and there is a general lack of such services in grassroots organizations or specialized hospitals; and
- Cultural context differences: Chinese medicine terms (e.g., “qi and blood” and “dampness and heat”) are difficult to translate directly, and international patients are prone to cognitive bias.
(b).Optimization Path
- Establish a standardized medical translation system: Promote industry associations to formulate the Bilingual Comparison Guide for Common Terms Used in Medical Tourism, and standardize the translation standards for medical records, examination reports, and informed consent forms; and
- Cultivate composite medical interpreters: colleges and universities should open cross-specialties of “medicine + foreign language”, and hospitals should cooperate with translation agencies to train healthcare workers in basic foreign languages (e.g., daily consultation and emergency communication); introduce intelligent translation tools: promote AI translation tools to provide medical interpreters with the latest information.
- Introducing intelligent translation tools: promoting AI medical translation devices (e.g., real-time voice translators, APPs) to assist in solving simple communication problems and reducing labor costs.
II、Visa Policy: Balancing Convenience and Compliance
Visa is the “first threshold” for international patients to come to China. Although China has already introduced medical visas (M visas), cumbersome application documents, long approval cycles, and limitations on the period of stay still affect the patient experience.
(a).Status quo and challenges
- Restrictions on visa types: Patients from most countries need to apply for an M visa (Medical Visa), and need to provide a “Certificate of Attendance” issued by a Chinese hospital (including the treatment plan and the expected period of stay), and citizens of some countries (e.g., the U.S., the EU) need to be certified by the embassy or consulate.
- Difference in processing efficiency: Visa centers in first-tier cities (e.g. Beijing, Shanghai) process the visa applications faster (about 5-7 working days), while those in second- or third-tier cities or remote areas may extend the processing time to more than 15 working days; and
- Mismatch between stay period and treatment cycle: M visa is usually granted for an initial stay of no more than 30 days, and additional application is required for extension, while cancer treatment and recovery may take several months, putting the patient at risk of illegal stay.
(b).Optimizing the pathway
- Simplify the medical visa process: Promote “one-stop” service, hospitals and visa centers can exchange data, patients can apply directly with the hospital's pre-approval letter, reducing the need for repeated submission of documents.
- Extend the period of stay and flexible extension: for long-term treatment patients (e.g. cancer, organ transplantation recovery), allow the first stay of 60-90 days, and open the channel of “remote extension” (apply online after the hospital has issued a certificate).
- Expanding the scope of visa-exemption/visa-on-arrival: negotiating with major source countries for medical tourism (e.g., Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Russia) to include medical tourism in the scope of visa-exemption or visa-on-arrival policy coverage.
III、Follow-up service: core competitiveness of full-cycle experience
International patients' “worries” are mainly focused on rehabilitation support, insurance connection, transportation and accommodation, which directly affects the follow-up rate and word-of-mouth.
(a).Current Situation and Challenges
- Rehabilitation support: domestic hospitals focus on the treatment phase, and lack systematic support for medication guidance, review arrangements (e.g., international mutual recognition of imaging data), and remote follow-up after patients return to their home countries.
- Difficulty in insurance connection: Chinese commercial insurance (e.g., high-end medical insurance) mostly covers services in China, while international patients' national insurance (e.g., U.S. commercial insurance, European public health insurance) has low recognition of Chinese medical institutions, and the proportion of out-of-pocket expenses is high; and
- Supporting services are fragmented: transportation (airport-hospital feeder), accommodation (medical hotel/apartment), translation (post-discharge follow-up), and other services are provided by different entities, with a lack of unity and coordination.
(b).Optimization Path
- Building an international medical consortium: promoting cooperation between tertiary hospitals and overseas medical institutions to establish a transnational chain of “treatment-rehabilitation-follow-up” (e.g., Shanghai Ruijin Hospital's cooperation with hospitals in Singapore and the Middle East); and
- Promote mutual recognition of medical certifications: actively participate in international medical quality certifications (e.g., JCI accreditation), promote mutual recognition of examination reports (e.g., pathology slides, imaging data) through international standards (e.g., DICOM), and reduce the cost of repeated examinations for patients.
- Developing medical tourism support services: encouraging hospitals to cooperate with professional organizations to provide “one-stop packages” (including visa assistance, translation, transportation, accommodation, and insurance consulting), and providing customized services (e.g., prayer rooms and halal meals for Muslim patients) in accordance with religious and cultural customs.
IV、Summing up: from “treatment of disease” to “treatment of the heart” upgrading
The competitiveness of China's medical tourism lies not only in technology, but also in “patient-centered” full-cycle services. To solve the three major pain points of language, visa, and follow-up services, it requires tripartite collaboration among the government (policy support), hospitals (service optimization), and enterprises (improvement of supporting facilities). In the future, with the promotion of the “Healthy China 2030” strategy and the deepening of regional cooperation such as RCEP, China is expected to become the Asia-Pacific region's medical tourism hub, realizing the transition from “medical output” to “health brand”. From “medical export” to “health brand”.