China, united under the Qin Dynasty over 2000 years ago, remains in many ways very regional. A common written language but a diversity of spoken forms makes it difficult to understand China first hand. Companies selling in China often only address a small segment of the market - tertiary hospitals on the eastern seaboard - while the market is moving west and into smaller general and district hospitals. Click here to learn more
Russia is a vast country, few have visited and its a challenge to name the top five cities. Targeting Siberia seems like madness but the commodities boom has made this one of the richest areas with towns such as Tyumen wealthy enough to be one of the early adopters of new technologies. Regional hospitals provide the backbone of tertiary care with state institutes providing additional specialist care. Universities which in most countries fulfil these roles are all but absent. Click here to learn more
Consider how much you can describe the delivery of healthcare in your own country and then consider how well less familiar markets may be summarised. Language, geography and culture are the main barriers. Unsurprisingly developed markets where English is spoken either as a first or second language offer the lowest challenge. Geography however may step in. India is an example where very few have a clear view of development across the sub continent. Countries where openess is viewed as a threat provide the greatest challenge. There were never any prizes for disclosure only risks and only the most confident are likely to engage. Click here to learn more
The scale of medical tourism worldwide is unclear but rapidly growing. Most countries have an interest in promoting their healthcare to outsiders sometimes centrally and sometimes by individual institutions. Traditionally it was a preserve of the rich who shopped for healthcare in countries perceived to be in advance of their own. Residents of former colonies travelled to Europe selecting their institution based on language and the former colonial power. Francophone to Paris and Brussels. English speaking to London but also elsewhere. Those from the east, Russia in particular, took their cures in Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland. The United States stood out as the destination for those wanting the highest of high tech, particularly cancer therapies. Today numerous other countries see opportunities, of note are Turkey, the Emirates, India, China, South Korea and Japan. Click here to learn more