1
Akron’s Children Hospital Part A
Liberty University
BUSI600: Business Research Methods
Dr. Sandra Bartholomew
25 April 2024
2
Akron’s Children’s Hospital Part A
1. What is the management-research question hierarchy for Akron Children’s
Hospital?
In business research, a management-research question hierarchy is frequently used to accurately
identify and oversee an issue. According to Cooper and Schindler (2013), there are six distinct phases that
make up this process: management dilemma, management question, research questions, investigation
questions, measurement questions, and management decision. The requirement for a choice or solution
stems from a management challenge, which sets off the research process. It is a methodical process of
formulating investigations to delve deeply into a certain area of operations.
The Northeastern Ohio region's extremely competitive healthcare industry is resulting in a decline
in patient volume and financial losses for the Akron Children's Hospital. It is unclear whether key tactics
or managerial choices are helping rivals succeed and why fewer parents are selecting Akron as their
hospital of choice.
It is projected that the management questions stage would examine the hospital and highlight its
unique features and advantages. These are a couple of questions that management can ask: What unique
selling points may Akron Children's Hospital have over its rivals? What aspects of the hospital influence
the way patients choose medical services and make decisions? How can Akron sell its innovative
technology and superior medical services? What strategies might the hospital use to draw in more
patients? This stage's primary goal is to examine the facility to pinpoint its unique features and
advantages.
The research of general market emotions and their impact on Akron Children's Hospital patient
rates is part of the research questions stage. These are couple research question that can be asked: What
are the healthcare market's index opinions of Akron Children's Hospital? What influences the hospital's
patient and family satisfaction rate, and what is the rate? Examining prevailing market attitudes and their
effects on patient rates is the aim of this phase. Do parents' opinions of the hospital and their emotions
influence the decisions that they make as consumers?
3
Investigating patient requirements in-depth and creating instruments to monitor those needs are
made possible by asking investigating questions. When their children require immediate medical
attention, how can parents choose which hospital to go to? Are there any other significant elements, such
as quality, money, or influence, at play while making this decision? During diagnosis and therapy, which
main services or activities draw patients? This phase is founded on a more comprehensive understanding
of monitoring patient requirements.
Measurements should be made of some hospital operations that have the potential to affect
patients' decisions. They consist of waiting periods, release schedules, and the monetary price of medical
care and services. If patients are unhappy with these conditions, the hospital may have some difficulties.
What sets Akron Children's Hospitals apart from other establishments? How can parents' and patients'
emotional responses be seen during visits? Treatment outcomes should be evaluated in relation to patient
satisfaction. It is important to monitor additional factors including waiting times, discharge times, and
financial expenses.
To be competitive in the market, Akron Children's Hospital must make strategic management
decisions. This entails developing a distinctive brand, encouraging parents and caregivers to receive high-
quality care, utilizing a variety of promotional platforms, and broadening specializations to enhance care
for certain kid populations. Dr. Marcus Thomas emphasized the need for Akron Children's Hospital to
have a distinctive and appealing brand so that it can stand out from the competition in marketing. It is
important for parents of young patients to understand that the hospital can offer high-quality treatment.
The marketing of the value that Akron can provide to its clients requires careful consideration of a variety
of promotional platforms. Furthermore, by increasing the number of specializations the hospital may
provide, the way in which kid populations are treated must be improved.
2. What are the advantages/disadvantages of an observation study for this
research?
The study's main objective is to watch Marcus Thomas LLC, the patients, parents, and doctors as
they get care from evaluation to diagnosis to therapy. Additional care procedures including routine
4
examinations, ER visits, and surgical planning are crucial. It is important to pay attention to the emotional
and pleasure aspects that families and patients could represent.
The benefits of conducting observational research are numerous. An insightful understanding of
patient needs and views, including behavioral and emotional variables, will be provided by the research.
The study will assist in developing a logical and reasoned response to the Akron Children's Hospital
management dilemma. It will offer insightful data and outcomes that will support hospital administration
in making decisions. Additionally, a thorough explanation of a focus group will be determined.
Advertisers may target this demographic in the market to increase the value of any promotions.
The observational study's drawback is that, rather than enhancing the caliber of medical services
and treatment, it places a heavy emphasis on commercialization. The hospital's positioning in the market,
parental views, and branding value proposition are the main subjects of research. Even if these are
important, they could also be immoral because the hospital should be concentrating on improving care
rather than generating a profit.
3. What does the brand promise recommendation reveal about what researchers
experienced and concluded from their study?
The significance of branding in the healthcare sector is emphasized by Inkwell Global Marketing
(2017) since it establishes a distinguishing identity and attributes that patients identify with the institution.
A strong brand draws in excellent people, fosters relationships with patients, and increases revenue. A
brand name in healthcare represents a promise to the customer that covers everything from treatment
results to the fundamental experience.
To ensure that patients choose hospitals based on their ability to make decisions, Kemp, Jillapalli,
and Becerra (2014) marketing strategy highlights the significance of a thorough and long-term marketing
approach in healthcare branding. It focuses on differentiation, credibility, compelling, exclusivity, and
comprehension. According to Drevs (2014) research, patients are happy with care at specialized
institutions, and judgments about which hospitals to choose are impacted by advanced medical
technology and skills. Acute care criteria are the main factor used in the selection of hospitals for serious
5
diseases. Rather than using quantitative comparison tools, customers frequently depend on the traditional
content model, which establishes credibility via expertise and hospitality (Drevs, 2013).
4. If you were designing such an observation study, what would you direct
researchers to record/look for/listen for?
I would see to it that the researchers paid attention to the children's opinions and their reactions to
staff conversations. Together with observing the environment, I would also ask them to watch how staff
members interact with the kids, parents, and other staff members when they are not around the kids. Staff
negativity can lead to unneeded problems for kids and parents as well as an uneasy environment for the
kids. I would want the researchers to monitor the parents' and kids' comfort levels constantly. Improved
methods for design and analysis have lessened the influence of bias and confounders, which would be
crucial in this study to obtain objective results, despite the constraints that such studies include (Ramirez-
Samanta, 2018). To maintain consistency in the research, it would be crucial to instruct researchers to
meticulously record their adherence to the methodology and research design during the observation.
5. What ethical issues would surface in hospital studies in general and this study
in particular?
Given that this is a children's facility, the hospital should continue to be completely transparent
about its efforts and observational research to prevent any potential violations of patient rights. Since
therapy should come first, the project's commercialization raises certain problems. It is best to avoid
giving patients who have given or have better incomes preferential care. Moreover, attempts should not
be made to disparage other excellent local hospitals from our market competitors.
The hospital's objective to increase profitability and efficiency while upholding its core principles
and mission is highlighted in the Akron Children's Hospital case study. To set itself apart from the
competition and uphold its goal statement, "Everything we do is for our kids and their families,"( Akron
Children’s Hospital, n.d.) the hospital strives to improve the quality of treatment and services. Because of
its stellar reputation, Akron Children's Hospital may outperform its rivals by providing value for its core
clientele and disseminating information through reliable marketing.
6
To oversee the competition issue in the healthcare sector, Akron Children's Hospital turned to the
management-research question hierarchy. A thorough grasp of patient impressions was obtained through
observational research, and recommendations included putting new medical technology into practice,
enhancing service delivery, and developing an efficient marketing strategy.
7
References
Akron Children’s Hospital. (n.d.).CFor family members or patients.CWeb.
Cooper, D.R., & Schindler, P. (2013).CBusiness research methodsC(12th ed.). New York City, NY:
McGraw-Hill Education.
Drevs, F. (2013). How patients choose hospitals: Using the stereotypic content model to model
trustworthiness, warmth and competence.CHealth Services Management Research, 26(2-3), 95-
101. Web.
Ivy Panda. (2021, May 11).CAkron Children’s Hospital’s Service
Quality.Chttps://ivypanda.com/essays/akron-childrens-hospitals-service-quality/
Inkwell Global Marketing. (2017).CThe importance of branding in the healthcare industry to attract and
retain patients. C Web.
Kemp, E., Jillapalli, R., & Becerra, E. (2014). Healthcare branding: Developing emotionally based
consumer brand relationships.CJournal of Services Marketing, 28(2), 126-137. Web.
Ramírez-Santana, M. (2018). Limitations and biases in cohort studies. In InTech eBooks.
https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74324
Schindler, P. S. (2008). Akron Children's Hospital, Part A
8
