Challenges with Healthcare Marketing

Healthcare system is faced with several marketing challenges emanating from factors ranging from technological to humanissues. Marketing in healthcare, if well organized and strategized, can result in high profits and prosperity of the health sector. However, various problems are affecting healthcare marketing. Some of these problems include the use of outdated communication technology in most healthcare centers, a large number of stakeholders in the healthcare industry, and issues of building and maintaining trust (Jaworski,Malcolm, & Morgan, 2016). The mentioned challenges usually cause adverse effects to the marketing system of the healthcare sector, which may lead to failure of the industry.

Use of Outdated Communication Technology

Communication is a significant factor to be considered for a successful organization of marketing strategies in healthcare set up. If not well updated,it may result in adverse problems that would paralyze the entire marketing process in the system. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is highly conservative to technological changes due to its regulated environment. However, with the increasing incidents of infections in the health care sector, there is a constant market that can only be achieved through strategizing the critical aspects such as good communication among all healthcare stakeholders. Besides, the healthcare system has a lot of health information flowing in and out of the arrangements. Therefore, the use of outdated communication technology would lower the performance rate through errors, inconsistencies, and speed, which would negatively impact on the marketing process. On the other hand, most healthcare institutions seem to be having a slow adoption to multi-channel marketing campaigns, which also adversely affects the overall marketing.

Too Many Stakeholders

Healthcare organization consists of many stakeholders dealing with specific roles in ensuring quality health and capacity building is provided. The stakeholders also have different ideologies and priorities that must be taken into consideration by any marketer trying to take control of the sector.As a healthcare marketer, convincing all the healthcare stakeholders about a particular product proves to be challenging and time-consuming. Furthermore, ensuring the collection of accurate marketing information requires a thorough consultation of all these stakeholders, and this takes time and energy. Consequently, the marketing process would be negatively influenced resulting in perennial loses that are not healthy for any potential healthcare organization.

Building and Maintaining Trust

Many healthcare organizations have failed to meet the requirements for building and maintaining trust with the healthcare industry, and this has been their downfall. Building and maintaining trust within the industry require a careful creation of relevant marketing content that is in line with products and services offered by the health sector. Creating relevant marketing content can be achieved by carrying out intensive market research as far as the healthcare industry is concerned. In other words,a potential healthcare organization should convince the clients of their ability to deliver the required service. Failure to build and maintain the needed trust would automatically impose negative impacts on the organization.

The relationship between the Identified Problems and 4PCs and 4Cs of Marketing

Relationship with 4Ps

Technological advancement is a crucial factor for creating awareness of the particular services offered by a company. Healthcare organizations need to promote their products using digital technology, which has proved to be one of the best strategies for the promotion of a company’s products or services (Whats and Hows, 2016). Therefore, healthcare organization using outdated communication technology is likely to experience problems with the promotion of their products. Besides, the physical position of a healthcare center may influence the adoption of specific communication technologies. Health facilities located in remote areas may experience difficulty in communication due to network problems.

Consequently, promoting the organization’s product would be significantly affected. Similarly, setting a price for services and products offered by a potential healthcare organization depends on its use of modern technology, which will dictate the quality of services provided. Therefore, the use of outdated technology is associated with too low prices for the services and products hence; too low profits realized by the organization.

Relationship with 4Cs

Any potential healthcare organization must ensure they meet the consumer wants and needs by providing quality healthcare. Meeting the customers’ needs involved the use of digital technology, convenience cost of the services, and proper communication among all the healthcare stakeholders (Whats and Hows, 2016). Building trust within the healthcare set up requires an appropriate and updated means of communication. Concerning the cost, it should be too low to the extent of raising questions on the quality of the services, and not too high to be afforded by the customers.

Trends for Alleviating the Marketing Problems

Adoption of Digital Technology

Potential healthcare organizations should ensure timely approval of modern technology to enhance all the processes undertaken within the company (Resnick. 2017). The adoption of the technology will, not only promote the communication process in the industry but increase the efficiency of the services provided by the healthcare organization. Some of the technological advancements that may assist such organizations in meeting their marketing demands include incorporating Electronic Health Records, EHR, to the system. The EHR is a good strategy of ensuring proper storage and transfer of health information aimed at protecting the clients’ rights.

Providing Quality Health Services

Providing quality healthcare should be the primary goal of any healthcare organization since; it is even stipulated in the U.S federal law. Offering quality healthcare at an affordable price will attract clients to attend the healthcare organization; however young it may be in the market.

References

Jaworski, B., Malcolm, R., & Morgan, N. (2016). 7 big problems in the marketing industry. American Marketing Association. Retrieved from https://www.ama.org/publications/MarketingNews/Pages/7-big-problems-marketing.aspx

Resnick. L.R. (2017). Six healthcare marketing trends for 2018. Managed Healthcare Executive. Retrieved from http://managedhealthcareexecutive.modernmedicine.com/managed-healthcare-executive/news/six-healthcare-marketing-trends-2018

Whats and Hows. (2016). What is the Marketing Mix – The 4Ps & 4Cs. [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MQS-75K2ZM

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