Healthcare Marketing: A Case Study Approach

Experienced healthcare marketers know that the traditional four Ps of business marketing—product, price, placement, and promotion—don’t always translate into the world of healthcare marketing. In this practical guide, the authors address the importance of a different set of Ps—physicians, patients, payers, public, and the presence of politics—for building a solid foundation in healthcare marketing. The book focuses on the unique needs of marketing in healthcare, applying general marketing theory and concepts where appropriate and tapping into the day-to-day experiences of working healthcare marketing professionals. The four main parts of the book are introduced by comprehensive cases that will challenge readers to consider strategic marketing initiatives while teaching them the differences between marketing healthcare and marketing other products and services. Each chapter includes an additional case study that addresses relevant healthcare marketing concepts through real-world applications.

Topics addressed in this book include:

• The history of healthcare marketing practices
• Physician, patient, and hospital interactions
• Alignment of strategic marketing efforts to the mission, vision, and values of an organization
• Ethics of healthcare marketing
• Stakeholders’ roles in healthcare marketing
• Conflict management techniques
• The basics of a healthcare marketing plan

About the Authors

Leigh W. Cellucci, PhD, is associate professor in the Department of Health Services and Information Management at East Carolina University and a former professor at Francis Marion University and Idaho State University. She was a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of a grant for innovative teaching from the American Sociological Association as well as a grant sponsored by the BB&T Leadership Enhancement Fund. Dr. Cellucci currently serves as editor of the Journal of Case Studies, a publication of the Society for Case Research.

Carla Wiggins, PhD, is professor and MHA program director at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Dr. Wiggins is a former director of health administration studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and former professor and chair of healthcare administration at Idaho State University. She is a prolific author on the topic of health information technology, most recently its role in ambulatory surgery centers.

Tracy J. Farnsworth, EdD, is associate dean and director of the Idaho State University (ISU) Kasiska School of Health Professions in the Division of Health Sciences. Following a distinguished career in hospital and healthcare administration, Dr. Farnsworth joined the ISU Health Care Administration Program faculty in 2008. Dr. Farnsworth has written and spoken widely on health system improvement, healthcare reform, and interprofessional education and collaboration.