Far from home: A scoping review of pediatric medical travel

This scoping review will explore the motivations, experiences, and outcomes associated with pediatric medical travel, the movement of children and their caregivers beyond their local or national healthcare systems to access life-saving or essential medical care. Although adult medical tourism has been widely studied, less is known about how pediatric medical travel affects pediatric patients and their caregivers, particularly in terms of decision-making, emotional and social impact, and recovery. Understanding why they undertake medical travel and how they experience this process can inform strategies to better support children and caregivers navigating complex healthcare journeys across geographic and cultural boundaries. Mapping this literature will identify key determinants, such as trust in local healthcare systems, perceived quality of care, social support disruption, and caregiver burden, and highlight gaps in knowledge, including cross-cultural differences and long-term psychosocial outcomes. This review will establish a conceptual foundation for future empirical research and inform the development of supportive interventions and policy frameworks that address the unique needs of traveling pediatric patients and their families.