Predictors of international Muslim medical tourists’ expectations on halal-friendly healthcare services: A hospital-based study

BACKGROUND: Halal-friendly healthcare services have emerged as an important sector of the overall healthcare service delivery system. This study aimed to examine levels and determinants of expectations on halal-friendly healthcare services from the Muslim medical tourists’ perspective. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in four cities, seventeen hospitals, across Iran, with a sample of 365 international Muslim medical tourists. RESULTS: Mean expectation score of the respondents was 3.95 ± 1.43. Being in the 25–34 age group (aOR = 2.65; CI 95%: 2.14–3.16), being married (aOR = 2.09; CI 95%: 1.46–2.72), having completed secondary education (aOR = 2.14; CI 95%: 1.26–3.02), belonging to a high-income socioeconomic background (aOR = 1.69; CI 95%: 1.06–2.33), coming from Iraq (aOR = 3.08; CI 95%: 2.12–4.04), being Shia (aOR = 2.83; CI 95%: 2.00–3.67), receiving information by recommendation as a source for travel decision (aOR = 3.02; CI 95%: 1.82–4.22), traveling with family or relatives (aOR=2.16; CI 95%: 1.42–2.90), receiving medical service of cosmetic surgery (aOR = 1.57; CI 95%: 1.22–1.92) and cardiovascular therapy (aOR = 2.33; CI 95%: 1.23–3.43), and traveling one or two times in the past (aOR = 2.33; CI 95%: 1.00–3.66) significantly increased the expectations on halal-friendly healthcare services. CONCLUSION: This study will represent an important contribution to the literature concerned with the levels and drivers of expectations on halal-friendly healthcare services.