Download Developing & Managing Products/Services

Marketing Your
Healthcare Organization
Is it really for YOU?
Dr. Hesham O. Dinana
Agenda
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What is Marketing & What it is NOT
Is it Ethical to Market Medical Services
The Concepts of Marketing – S.T.P.
The Tools of Marketing – the 4Ps
The Key to Medical Marketing - Service Quality
Conclusions
Egyptian Marketing?
Selling
Public Relations
Advertising
Promotion
What is Marketing?
The identification of
customers’ NEEDS and
fulfilling them in a
profitable manner
(Almost) Anything Can be Marketed
Consumer
Goods
and
Services
BusinesstoBusiness
Marketing
Not-ForProfit
Marketing
Idea,
Place,
People
Marketing
Major Criticisms of Healthcare Marketing
Marketing Wastes Money
Marketing is Intrusive
Marketing is Manipulative
Marketing will lower the quality
of health care
 Marketing will cause health care
institution to compete
 Marketing will create unnecessary
demand for health care
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Why Marketing is For Everyone
“The purpose of a business
is to create a customer…
Marketing is not a
specialized activity…it is
the whole business seen
from…the customer’s
point of view.”
If you focus on the patient and the patient’s needs you are practicing marketing concept
MYTHS & TRUTHS ABOUT MARKETING
Every member of a practice is a marketing specialist every day, whether consciously or unconsciously
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What medical marketing
can’t do
Overcome
unsatisfactory or
unpleasant experiences
in your practice.
Overcome poor
performance by you and
your staff.
Create a sudden and
incredible response.
Create a demand for
services where no
demand exists.
Produce effective results
if the message is
misleading.
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What medical marketing
can do
Increase awareness in
your market area and
reach newcomers.
Encourage current
patients to STAY.
Generate renewal and
referral patients.
Increase patient volume
for certain services and
programs.
Support volume at slow
times of the year.
Improve the attitude and
morale of you and your
staff.
“Life is too short to make
all the mistakes yourself”
Marketing Concepts
The Three Questions:
1. Who are we?
2. Who cares?
3. How do we get our message out?
Marketing Tools: The Marketing Mix
Product
Price
Good, Service, Idea, Place, Person
Assignment of Value
Tools that Are Used Together to Create a Desired
Response Among a Set of Defined Customers
Place
Promotion
Availability of Product
Activities to Inform Consumers
Product Mix length
Inpatient
Services
Product
line
width
Ambulatory
Services
Medical /
surgical
(45 beds)*
Emergency
(4 examining
rooms)*
Obstetrics
(20 beds)
Walk-in clinic
Pediatrics
(15 beds)
Cardiac (ICU)
(8 beds)
Outpatient
therapies
Health
Promotion
Health
education
sessions (5
Staff)*
Health fair
(30 exhibits)*
Five Patterns of Market Coverage
M1
M2
M3
M1
M2
M3
M1
P1
P1
P1
P2
P2
P2
P3
P3
P3
Product/market
concentration
M1
Product
specialization
M2
M3
P1
P2
P2
P3
P3
Selective
specialization
M3
Market
specialization
M1
P1
M2
M2
M3
Full coverage
Resources of Medical Services
 Technical Quality
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Physicians’ knowledge
Ability to make correct diagnosis
Therapeutic procedures
Quality of the medical equipment
 Service Quality.
– The physicians’ willingness and ability to communicate
with the patient.
– A culture of sharing information, and systems enhancing
a long-term doctor-patient relationship
Service Quality is IMPORTANT
 Business with High Service
Quality have:
–12% higher return on sales
–6% faster growth rate
–10% price premium
Patients as Consumers
 The majority of your patients are (or will be) sophisticated,
comparison-shopping consumers of health care, who are
armed with facts, ideas, and concerns that they have
reaped from different media, and from their friends,
associates, and family. Your patients will assess your
medical practice and compare it to other practices where
they have previously been and will evaluate your practice
against standards THEY consider important.
 How patients "rate" your practice will influence patients to
stay with you even if there is a problem.
 Consider very carefully what messages you convey about
yourself, your practice, and the importance of your patients
to your practice.
How to develop your medical
marketing plan
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Define your target audience
Research your service areas
Know your competitors
Define your Goal
Develop your plan
Implement your plan
Follow up your plan
Who are your Target audience
Any group or individual that affect the revenue and profitability of your practice.
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Patients---your current revenue base and major source of referrals.
General public---especially those who do not have a doctor and might
need your practice someday.
Referring physicians---send your practice patients needing your services.
Special groups---targeted for future services, such as HMO members
(managed care).
Media contacts---need to know what is newsworthy about your practice.
Area Employers---pay for health insurance plans for patients, also have
employees with occupational injuries, or have applicants needing preemployment health assessments (preventative AND industrial medicine
services).
Government/regulatory agencies---their decisions effect your business.
Staff members---whose performance greatly determines patient
satisfaction and practice productivity
Providers---all important to your business, such as laboratories,
pharmacies, hospitals, civic groups, salespeople/vendors, etc.
Researching your Service Areas
 How many people live in your service area? How is the population
distributed?
 Age distribution: has the birth rate increased or decreased during the
last ten years? Where are certain ages most prevalent? (for example:
young families concentrated in newer subdivisions, and older people in
established, older neighborhoods)
 Composition of families: Singles, married couples with and without
children, single parent families, etc.)
 Population expected to grow or change?
 New industry or new housing expected in your area soon?
 Median income of those living in your service area
 Percentage of the population is employed: percentage of white
collar / blue collar
 Industries: types most prevalent, major employers
 Stability of the community and the economy (old and established
area VS upwardly mobile living temporarily here
 Physicians: Dr. to patient population ratio, location of doctors,
populated areas around the physician locations
Know your Competitors
It is important to know:
 HOW MANY physicians of your specialty are there
in your community or service area, where they are
located, and in what concentration.
 WHAT SERVICES your direct competitors provide;
in this way you may be able to provide needed
services.
 WHAT VOLUME these doctors have; accepting
new patients or are they "closed' to new patients?
(OPPORTUNITY!)
Key to Patient loyalty
“feeling for staff and patients that PATIENTS ARE YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY
is the only way doctors can make sure they keep their patients by cultivating
relationships with them. ”
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The actions of the entire staff can make or break a practice.
An excellent doctor with mediocre staff will not prosper. How well the office does is
up to both the physician and the staff. You have joint custody of your practice's
patients.
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Respect your patients.
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Focus your attention on the patient, as much as you are able.
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Go out of your way to do something nice for each one.
Memorize names.
Jot down on sticky paper and place in the chart any personal info you would
like to remember (such as a new grandchild, likes to garden, son in college,
plays tennis, etc. ) People love to hear someone else remember things about
themselves.
Avoid doing three things at once while you are talking to the patient.
Wait until they are finished talking to speak.
Be a good listener.
Show empathy.
How would YOU feel if you were going through the same situation?
Keeping your current patient
“On an average, every happy patient can bring you six happy referrals. And
conversely, on an average, every disgruntled patient will relay his or her negative
message to 26 other people ”
WHY PATIENTS LEAVE THEIR PHYSICIANS
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Doctor vague and evasive
Poor or no bedside manner (physician)
Chronically not seen on schedule
No diagnosis given
Doctor discourages second opinion
Doctor does not respect confidentiality
Unpleasant office staff
Some ideas on keeping your patient
 Small assessment cards to be filled by the
patient on what he liked most about the
service and ideas to improve it
 Reminder calls or cards for their next
appointments
 Birthday cards
 Reminder notes to yourself that would help
to ask about personal stuff your patient
cares about
PRINTED MATERIALS AS A
MARKETING TOOL
 Printed materials are can be an effective image-maker and a positive
marketing tool, if your choices are made with care. The printed
materials that you present to your patients and other contacts are a
reflection on the quality and image of your office.
 Things you will need to be custom printed:
– Letterheads---letterheads should be of letterhead-weight paper, with
an impressive look and texture Business cards---business cards
likewise should be of heavier weight with impeccable typesetting.
Remember that these cards are passed on to others, especially
potential patients and referrals.
– Patient brochures– Appointment cards--– Prescription
– Direct mailing brochures. .
– Cards: birthday cards, appointment reminder postcards,
preventative care reminder cards, thanks you cards for public
relations purposes and for follow-up continuity.
PRINTED MATERIALS AS A
MARKETING TOOL
 PRINTED EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION MATERIALS
– Many types of patient information materials can be obtained free
from pharmaceutical suppliers. Information sheets can also be
created in your office to meet the specific needs of your practice.
– Written explanations given before testing or specialty services are
done are especially useful for patients, as well as written
instructions regarding medications and prescriptions. Hospitals,
clinics, and outpatient services often provide specialty information
and instructions.
– Written home going instruction sheets can be created in your
office, and these help to cut down on the number of phone calls to
your office relating to forgotten or misunderstood instructions.
– Computerized patient instruction software is also available for the
office. These provide written instruction and diagnosis
information, and can be customized to include the patient's name
and the name of the ordering physician.
The circle of positive outcomes of a good
patient-physician relationship.
MARKETING
Rapport + Results
=
Retention + Referrals