Internationalizing far later than other sectors, healthcare has seen trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) grow in recent years. While part of the service economy, healthcare has unique features that distinguish it from other service sectors and imprint on its globalization and spillover patterns. In this paper, we review the trends in healthcare internationalization, its drivers, and the obstacles standing in the way. We outline the special characteristics of the healthcare sector and how they affect the positive and negative spillovers from trade and FDI for home and host-countries. Implications for international business theory, research, and policy are delineated.

医疗保健的国际化远远晚于其他行业，近年来贸易和外国直接投资 (FDI) 有所增长。作为服务经济的一部分，医疗保健具有区别于其他服务行业的独特特征，并在其全球化和溢出模式中留下印记。在本文中，我们回顾了医疗保健国际化的趋势、其驱动因素以及阻碍这一进程的障碍。我们概述了医疗保健部门的特殊特征，以及它们如何影响贸易和外国直接投资对母国和东道国的正面和负面溢出效应。描述了对国际商业理论、研究和政策的影响。