A phenomenological analysis of medical tourism: Investigating the lived experience of returning to Canada after osseointegration abroad.
Christopher D Bedore, A Kirsten Woodend
PMID 37870372WHAT IT FOUND
Five Canadian women who had osseointegration abroad felt unsupported by local physicians who lacked knowledge or judged their choice.
They relied heavily on prosthetists and physiotherapists who actively sought information, and on self-advocacy to navigate care gaps after returning home.
Key findings
01All five participants reported feeling a lack of support from Canadian physicians after returning from surgery abroad.
02Participants received exceptional support from prosthetists and physiotherapists, who often proactively contacted the Australian surgical team to ensure continuity of care.
03Every participant had to advocate for their own care, including finding specialists willing to treat them and organizing their own support teams.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only five participants, all of whom were female and had transfemoral amputations. All surgeries were performed in Australia, so experiences may differ for patients returning from other countries. The small sample size limits the generalizability of the themes to the broader population of medical tourists. Participants were recruited from Facebook support groups, which may bias the sample toward those already engaged in peer support networks.
Declared interests
The authors disclosed no financial support for the research and no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the participants' satisfaction with osseointegration as evidence that the procedure is superior to socket-based prostheses. This is a small qualitative study of five women's experiences, not a controlled trial comparing clinical outcomes.