Unit #9: Chapter 15 Medical Marketing

Marketing Marketing is the process of developing and selling ideas, goods, and services that satisfy customers, using the principles of pricing, promotion, and distribution. Service marketing is the marketing of intangible products that offer financial, legal, medical, recreational, or any other benefits to the consumer

Selling the Practice’s Services The medical practice should be marketed to: Insurance companies Local companies Churches/synagogue The community

Selling the Practice’s Services via: Advertising Newsletters Seminars Direct mail Other media

Social Media Face Book Twitter Flicker LinkedIn My Space

Advertising versus Marketing Advertising and marketing are different: Marketing analyzes the practice and its potential market. An advertising campaign begins after a marketing analysis is complete.

Advertising Advertising media: Internet/Web page local newspaper city magazine radio direct mail television telephone book other

Internal Marketing Internal marketing includes: Ensuring patient satisfaction Conducting patient satisfaction surveys Conducting referring physician surveys Providing patient education Distributing patient information handbooks

Perception Is Reality 95% of unhappy patients will not tell a physician. 80% of patients who leave a practice do so because of employees, not the physician.

Quality Service A medical office must deal with: Patient expectation: what will take place during an office visit Patient experience: events that take place during a visit Patient perception: how a patient rates an office visit

Elements of Quality Service the patient staff commitment patient expectations continuity of service

Patient Satisfaction Benefits of patient satisfaction include: Increased productivity Higher profitability More patient referrals Improved employee morale Increased collection rate Decreased employee turnover Lower risk of malpractice

Patient Dissatisfaction Patients may be dissatisfied by: a long wait in the reception area limited parking office too cold automated phone system is too difficult to use office more interested in payment than patient unable to get an appointment when desired too many medications prescribed

Word of Mouth Two issues with word-of-mouth marketing: Stop negative word of mouth (whenever possible). Promote positive word of mouth.

Patients Speak Out What patients want from a medical office: courteous, friendly office staff on-time appointments responsiveness to patient problems easy appointment scheduling

Practice Newsletters Personalize it. Make it look professional. Produce it regularly.

Marketing Your New Physician Send out an announcement to: hospitals other physicians community organizations chamber off commerce local newspaper

Marketing Your New Physician Introduce the physician to local pharmacies. Purchase local radio advertising. Have physician join local medical societies or community organizations. Enlist a public relations firm.

True or False Labor and equipment needs are one classification of service

Answer FALSE

True or False Dissatisfied patients talk

Answer TRUE!

True or False An example of internal marketing is referring physician surveys

Answer TRUE!

You Made it!!!!