Examining the intentions of health staff to work in health tourism: The case of Aydin State Hospitals

Objective: This research was conducted to determine the intentions of public hospital health personnel to work in health tourism. Material and Methods: The study, which is descriptive and cross-sectional research, was designed according to the descriptive and relational survey model. In the study, in which the quantitative research method was preferred, a questionnaire form was used as a data collection tool. The quantified data in the research consists of descriptive statistical data obtained from the scales of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, awareness, perceived organizational support, and behavioral intention, as well as relational statistical analyses for testing hypotheses. The opinions of 17 physicians and 11 non-physician health staff were consulted between February and April 2022 to understand whether there were different latent variables that could be effective on behavior intention other than the attitude, perceived behavioral control and subjective norm within the scope of the Planned Behavior Theory included in the research model. As a result of the interviews, it was decided to add the dimensions of awareness and perceived organizational support to the theoretical model. Before the field application, seven expert opinions were consulted between July and August 2022. Based on the feedback, revisions were made and a pilot study was carried out with 44 health personnel in Aydın Atatürk State Hospital in September 2022. The data were collected from 379 health staff working in public hospitals in Aydın between October and December 2022. Smart PLS 3.2.8 (Ringle, Wende, & Becker, 2015) and SPSS 22.0, one of the software programs, were used in the analysis of the data. Results: It has been determined that subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioral control and perceived organizational support have statistically significant mediating roles in the relationship between awareness and behavioral intention. Conclusion: It has been concluded that health professionals' intention to work in health tourism is positive and if the employee feels supported by the hospital management, this intention becomes more evident. Keywords: Health Tourism, Intention to Work, Attitude