Differentiation of Countries of the Eurasian Economic Union by Level of Development of Medical and Health Tourism

The article analyzes current trends in the development of medical and health tourism in the health care systems of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. The purpose of the study is to identify differentiation in the level of development of health and medical tourism. The authors justify the choice of key indicators in the demographic, social, economic and environmental spheres that influence the development of health tourism. A correlation matrix was proposed and applied, thanks to which the degree of linear dependence between pairs of variables was revealed. Clustering of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union according to the level of development of medical and health tourism was carried out using the K-means method in combination with two-dimensional principal component analysis (2D PCA). The levels of development of medical and health tourism in the studied countries were determined: high (Belarus, Russia), medium (Armenia, Kazakhstan), low (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan). For each of the identified clusters, trends in the development of medical and health tourism were identified, which are determined by the specific demographic situation, the volume of investments in the health sector, the availability of hospital beds per 10 thousand inhabitants, the quantity and quality of medical personnel, the development of infrastructure, and the state of the environment. In addition, attention is paid to determining the export potential of medical care and health services. Recommendations were made on the interaction of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which will improve the efficiency of health care systems. Ways of strengthening interstate interaction in the protection of public health under the existing restrictions in relation to some of the countries studied are substantiated. In the conclusion, it is noted that it is advisable to adopt documents on standardization and certification of medical care and health services within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.