Therapeutic Itineraries in a Global World: Yemenis and their search for biomedical treatment abroad

Abstract

Focusing upon how Yemenis travel to Jordan and other countries for medical reasons, this article explores a variety of issues and experiences pertaining to care-seeking abroad. Topics include state support for treatment outside the country, links between countries that facilitate movements, therapeutic reputations leading to destination selection, medical travelers' funding and logistical decisions, and notions of "good" patient care. The study is set within a context of increasing globalization, where advances in communication, transportation, and medical devices and procedures all contribute to people's ideas about where to go for medical care. As such, it extends care'seeking research beyond local services and national boundaries.