Marketing in long-term care settings is a growing trend according to recent studies. Uncompetitive markets were not a need for nursing homes to develop marketing strategies, bed availability, and restrictions in reimbursement before the last decade. Marketing chiefs were hired for the first time around 1994 because of an increase in nursing homes staff assigned to activities for marketing. At the same time, attendance at marketing seminars broadened, and staff doubled in many nursing home chains. Success for nursing homes has little evidence in terms of implementation marketing strategies or the success of a broadened marketing staff.
Early adoption of marketing by health care organizations built on studies of past research, which determines the development of today nursing homes, market planning promotional practices, and communications of marketing functions. In the long-term sector marketing is increasing, which is a vital business function that is widely recognized. General marketing functions are a base for nursing homes with minimal research on marketing practices.
Do you feel the current health care marketing techniques are affecting consumer trends? If so, how?
Collective focus will be shifted by marketers, which will pose a challenge as a direct result of possible universal health coverage, and health savings account that is propelled by consumer driven health plans. Health coverage will not be determined by hospital choice because of the consumer being armed with valuable information such as pricing information, and quality data. This will present hospitals with a new consumer. New audience is prevalent in the planning services that give hospital marketers an opportunity to learn from trends and behavior of the consumer. Eighty percent of all spending account for household purchases in the United States. In addition, women purchase and plan 89% of vacations,