Desarrollo del turismo médico en la frontera norte de México y estrategias de comunicación

Flor Micaela Ramírez-Leyva; Janet García González; Mayda González Espinoza

doi:10.35669/rcys.2025.15.e368

Authors

Flor Micaela Ramírez-Leyva University of Guadalajara https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8269-2570
Español Autonomous University of Nuevo León https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7188-5331
Mayda González Espinoza Autonomous University of Baja California https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9867-4756

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35669/rcys.2025.15.e368

Keywords:

Medical tourism, Health, communication, development, economic impact

Abstract

Introduction: The development of a medical tourism destination is linked to complex processes and the involvement of various actors, giving institutional communication a crucial role. This study addresses the socioeconomic dynamics of the health services market with international mobility in Baja California, Mexico, aiming to highlight communication strategies. Methodology: The study was conducted using ethnography to the Mexicali Health Care, interviews with 188 tourist patients and documentary analysis of research, specialized and general media, and reports from government and official agencies. Results: There are 55 to 70% cost savings in 8 of 16 medical procedures used by tourists, even lower prices on medicines in Mexico compared to the United States; an intense marketing effort in medical tourism and the implementation of public policies with high investments have transformed the city of Mexicali and the northern border, highlighting the Mexicali Health Care medical cluster. Conclusions: Although institutional communication strategies have yielded good results, there is a need to address social issues such as public safety, evaluate the programs and public policies, and follow up on them. Additionally, there is a need to expand the reach to European and South American markets. Communication is crucial in the health sector, especially in medical tourism, where cultural adaptation and relational dynamics play an important role.

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Author Biographies

Flor Micaela Ramírez-Leyva, University of Guadalajara

Doctor in New Journalistic Models from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Alicante. Full Professor and Researcher at the Department of Psychology at CuCosta, University of Guadalajara, Mx. National Level 1 Researcher of SECIHTI. Member of the Mexican and Latin American Associations of Communication Researchers, in the Communication and Health Research Group; and at InCom-UAB. Member of the Academic Group of Sociocultural Anthropology and Communication UDG-CA-1013. Research lines: Communication and health, public health; journalism, gender, exclusion, violence and power; birth rate in childhood and adolescence; internal communication and medical training in public institutions. Reviewer for academic journals in Latin America and Spain.

Español, Autonomous University of Nuevo León

PhD. in Communication, Coordinator of the Master's Program at the School of Communication Sciences of the UANL, National Researcher Level 1 SECIHTI. Leader in Mexico of the Iberoamerican Network of Marketing in Health (RIMS); National Coordinator of the Communication and Health research group of the Mexican Association of Communication Researchers (AMIC) and Vice-coordinator of the Communication and Health research group of the Latin American Association of Communication Researchers (ALAIC).

Mayda González Espinoza, Autonomous University of Baja California

PhD. in Administrative Sciences from the Instituto de Estudios Universitarios, Master in Administration from the School of Social and Administrative Sciences, UABC Campus Ensenada, B.C. She is a candidate to the National System of Researchers SNI by SECIHTI and member of the academic body in consolidation: “Adoption of ICT's, Administrative Management and Marketing for the Competitiveness of Organizations” with key UABC-CA-239. He is a professor-researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California. He has the accreditation of Full-Time Professor with Desirable Profile PRODEP. Accredited by the National Association of Faculties and Schools of Accounting and Administration (ANFECA). Professor in the Bachelor's Degrees in Marketing and Tourism Management. She is currently Coordinator of the Tourism Management Educational Program at the School of Administrative Sciences, Mexicali campus.

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