Framing Service, Benefit, and Credibility Through Images and Texts: A Content Analysis of Online Promotional Messages of Korean Medical Tourism Industry

摘要

This study examines how the Korean medical tourism industry frames its service, benefit, and credibility issues through texts and images of online brochures. The results of content analysis suggest that the Korean medical tourism industry attempts to frame their medical/health services as excellence in surgeries and cancer care and advanced health technology and facilities. However, the use of cost-saving appeals was limited, which can be seen as a strategy to avoid consumers' association of lower cost with lower quality services, and to stress safety and credibility.