An umbrella review of systematic reviews on medical and health tourism worldwide

Purpose This research seeks to examine systematic studies on medical tourism by identifying significant contributors, including prominent countries and institutions, while delineating links among cited references, authors and document components. It analyses significant obstacles, ethical implications, and language utilized in various studies, identifies research deficiencies and suggests future avenues for multidisciplinary investigation. Design/methodology/approach Results from several systematic studies released between 2015 and 2024 are compiled in one umbrella review. Peer-reviewed, open-access papers in English employing qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods were guaranteed by a thorough selection procedure including independent screening. Key trends, issues and research gaps were found using thematic analysis and bibliometric mapping. Findings The findings highlight key contributors to medical tourism, including Iran, the United Kingdom and Portugal, with major institutions like Shahid Beheshti University and the University of Leeds. Prominent themes include ethical dilemmas, healthcare accessibility and sustainability challenges. Research gaps include long-term health impacts, crisis management strategies and evolving regulatory frameworks. Originality/value To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the only umbrella review of this kind between 2015 and 2024. It especially compiles systematic reviews to offer a thorough synthesis of medical tourism research, emphasizes important trends, difficulties and future research prospects in this developing discipline.