Health Service Marketing, Abosolutely No Plagiarism

Marketing and the Healthcare System

Latonya Louden

Strayer University

HSA 305

Professor Ordu

01/27/2018

Direct impact of marketing

The Texas medical center

The health care sector has seen increased competition in the recent past. This trend is highly linked to the advancement of technology. Technology is highly useful in the healthcare sector, and healthcare providers are putting efforts to incorporate the techniques because they have not only a direct impact on the quality of services delivered but also the efficiency. Due to the increased competition, providers have made efforts to guarantee customers quality services. Affordability and energy are some of the primary factors that directly impact on customer satisfaction hence attraction of many clients and also retention.

The Texas Medical Centre has put in deliberate effort to improve the quality of services. The Streamlining of the center's marketing strategy has played a significant role in its current standing. Being the largest health center globally, the provider has managed to attract many customers across the world due to its effectiveness in marketing. The Texas Medical Centre has various clinical facilities ranging from medical schools, nursing schools, hospitals as well as specialty units. The organization has a well-tailored marketing strategy in place that helps it to reach out to its diverse customer base and keep it updated on the different services. Increased awareness among the customers is, therefore, one of the direct impacts of direct marketing in this center (Christopher, 2002).

Secondly, the marketing has also impacted on authority and credibility of the provider. Since the center offers a wide range of services, the marketing has facilitated brand awareness in the various services delivered. As a result, many customers have come to associate the center with quality and affordable services hence gaining some authority and credibility in the medical care area. The organization relies on brochures directly handed to customers as well as online platforms to present and collect information from customers.

Strategy to determine the utilization of its products or services

Determining service utilization is crucial for not only healthcare providers but also all entrepreneurs. The primary goal of the determination of usage of products and service by any company is to learn which services are being used and which ones have a low preference. The information is crucial for future decision making. Concerning marketing, the company could use the information gathered to determine what marketing techniques need to be put in place to better get to the audience. A customer will know about an existing service if he or she has ever utilized it. If the majority of the customers are not aware of current service, then it implies that it is not frequently used. A health care provider could either work on creating awareness of the underutilized services and products or drop them all together (Coddington, Fischer, & Moore, 2001).

Surveys would be the best strategy to determine the utilization of services and products. The information collected from the surveys will inform the Texas medical center which of the services delivered in its facilities are highly utilized, underutilized or not utilized at all. There are different methods of carrying out the surveys. One of the techniques is by preparing them in advance and offering them to customers as they visit the facilities for services. The customers will provide the information by answering simple questions on products and services. There could also be a section that the customer can use to make suggestions. Online surveys could also be utilized to reach to the broader customer base. Since administration of examinations can be costly, the health care provider could determine the utilization of services and products either annually or semi-annually.

Marketing strategy for the healthcare provider

A marketing strategy is a technique an organization utilizes to give information to its prospects with the intention of wooing them to become consumers of its products and services.

Social media is the best marketing strategy for the Texas Medical Center. One of the primary reasons for this choice is the nature of its customer base. The center offers services globally. Due to the geographical area within which the customer base resides, social media would facilitate fast communication between the particles. Some of the platforms that can be used include twitter and facebook. Due to the advancement in technology, almost everyone has a device that he or she can use to access social media platforms. This is a very efficient way to reach out to potential customers. The healthcare provider could use these platforms to post brochures and pamphlets containing its services (Tuten, 2008).

Use of website

The Texas Medical center also utilizes a site to market its products and services. Through the official website, the customers learn of the center's different facilities and how they can access them. Besides, information on the services offered at the center as well as the costs is provided. Thirdly, through the official website, many customers get to learn more about the mission and goals of the middle as far as health care services are concerned (Parkin, & Parkin, 2010).

Use of pamphlets and brochures

A direct marketing strategy could involve the utilization of booklets and pamphlets. This approach is highly applicable to those customers who are physically at the center. The company could offer pamphlets to the patients and also other customers to act as a reminder of not only the facility but also the services rendered. Besides, this marketing strategy is efficient compared to others because the center can utilize them to offer vast amounts of information at a low cost. This will also effectively communicate to the clients who do not use online platforms.

Separate ways to shape the buying decisions of its customers

Different methods can be utilized to shape the buying decision of customers. One of the strategies is to create and maintain a good reputation online and offline. Customers want to be associated with health care providers who have right public image and reputation. With the increased competition in the health sector, it is crucial for the Texas Medical center to engage in actions and mannerisms that promote its reputations. Some of these could include adhering to a code of ethics especially regarding patient information and also in manufacturing of the products and delivery of services.

Pricing is also a meaningful way to influence the consumers' buying decisions. Health care is a basic need and a right to all human beings. The health care providers should not appear to be behind making profits through their operations but should focus on improving the quality of care to meet this need. Affordability is therefore critical in healthcare as the customers will only buy services they can afford. The Texas Medical center could hence utilize pricing to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors (Dumitru, 2015).

Packaging is also a significant factor in shaping purchasing decisions. Packaging is not only about a product but also about services. When a patient goes to a provider, the one thing he needs to see is how the services are delivered. This touches on both the staff and the products themselves. With the medications, the packaging is paramount too.

References

Christopher, M. (2002). Relationship marketing: integrating quality, customer service, and

marketing. Relationship Marketing, 148-189. doi:10.1016/b978-0-7506-4839-4.50008-

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Coddington, D. C., Fischer, E. A., & Moore, K. D. (2001). Strategies for the new health care

marketplace: Managing the convergence of consumerism and technology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Dumitru, M. (2015). Important Elements in Consumer's Decision-making Process. Procedia

Economics and Finance, 22, 780-786. doi:10.1016/s2212-5671(15)00306-8

Parkin, G., & Parkin, G. (2010). Digital marketing: Strategies for online success. London: New

Holland.

Tuten, T. L. (2008). Advertising 2.0: Social media marketing in a Web 2.0 world. Westport, CT:

Praeger.

http://www.tmc.edu/