Health Care Marketing Reflection Essay

The types of managed care are differentiated by definition, operation, structure, and information needs. `HMOs were the most common type of MCO until commercial insurance companies developed PPOs to compete with HMOs' (Douglas, 2003, p.331). `HMOs are business entities that either arrange for or provide health services to an enrolled population after prepayment of a fixed sum of money, called a premium' (Peden, 1998, p.78). There are three characteristics that an HMO must have. The first is a health care financing and delivery system that provides services for members in a particular geographic area. Second, is ensured access to a complete range of health care services, health maintenance, treatment, and routine checkups. Last, health care must be obtained from voluntary personnel that participate in the HMO. The five HMO models related to the participating physicians are the Staff

3. An orthopedic group practice has decided to develop a pediatric sports medicine program. Identify potential target markets for this new service.

A health care provider is any individual, institution, or agency that provides health services to health care consumers otherwise known as patients (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Health+care+service+provider). Health care providers are vital because they are trained to provide health services to patients which help treat illnesses, diseases, broken bones, or any injuries or health issues in which they are trained to treat.

Ads for pharmaceutical drugs are everywhere. They are in magazines, on television and radio, on billboards, and on the little bags that you get from the pharmacist. These days it is difficult to get away from all the drug advertising. All these ads are for products that require a doctor's prescription. The goal of advertising is to increase profits. By advertising so heavily for drugs that the majority of the population does not need, pharmaceutical companies attempt to create as large a consumer base as they can. In advertising directly to the consumer, the drug companies accomplish two objectives. First, they get information directly to the consumer. Second, they promote the product and

Despite this, the industry did not alter its ways, maintaining that its ad campaigns were "educational," and that people were able to make their own decisions about what they purchased (Payer 66). However, it is evident that the advertisements produced by the pharmaceutical industry are designed for the very purpose of making it difficult for people to make these decisions independently. This marketing produces a large number of often deceptive, misleading tactics which have a large influence on both consumers and medical practitioners. The chief beneficiaries of this marketing are not the consumers but the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

There are proponents of DTC prescription drug ads. They argue that “the ads inform patients about diseases and possible treatments, encourage people to seek medical advice, help remove stigma associated with medical conditions, and provide needed sales revenue to fund costly research and development (R&D) of new drugs (Drug Ads ProCon.org).” On the flip side opponents argue “that DTC drug ads misinform patients, promote drugs before long-term safety-profiles can be known, medicalize and stigmatize normal conditions and bodily functions like wrinkles and low testosterone, waste valuable medical appointment time, and have led to our society’s overuse of prescription drugs (Drug Ads ProCon.org).”

Commercialized on TV as the only solution to our numerous problems, Big Pharma preys on people who struggle through life. Although seemingly meant to heal, pharmaceutical drugs have destroyed countless American lives instead because gullible patients rush to their doctor demanding prescriptions. Want to lose weight? Give me a pill. Want more intense sexual encounters? I need a pill. Want to grow longer, shinier hair? Hey, I’ll just pop a pill. Although some medical conditions do require medication, not every case of discomfort should be treated with highly addictive prescription meds nor should those drugs be trafficked via commercials that target a hypochondriacal nation of couch potatoes too lazy to put forth the time and effort to prevent disease. Instead, far too many Americans simply find a quick fix at their local pharmacy. These prescriptions lead to addiction and in the end death. Therefore, if I could take away any one invention from mankind it would be the crass commercialization of pharmaceuticals.

We in America tend to take medications for almost any problem we have, from headaches to gastrointestinal pain, to more serious chronic disorders such as depression and attention deficit disorder. While many of the uses of such medications may be necessary and legitimate, many are not, and due to this fact, many people become dependent on medications, mentally, and or physically. This problem is not simply the fault of the individual; in fact, the blame can also be placed upon the medical community, and the pharmaceutical companies who produce the drugs. How often can one turn on the television to see advertisements for Claritin, Aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, or even Zoloft or Ritalin? The pharmaceutical industry is motivated by monetary

We are sometimes manipulated into buying these products because it will work wonders or make us feel good about ourselves, well I could say that some products are good heck even amazing. However, there are those that are just plain wrong that are so egger to sell the product just to make profit off of us, not caring whether we are content with how it works. Have you ever wondered why the advertisements just keep repeating sometimes well it’s like they are just planting it in your head about this product that they are trying to sell you and that you must have according to the advertisers. According to writer Sienna Kossman she states how advertisers operate and how they get the consumers to buy the product she say that the way they get them

There are many direct to consumer advertising for prescription drugs. On television, magazines, radio etc, you see the most recent advertisements for prescription drugs. After some people see the advertisements they soon rush over to their doctor and their illness and life would be perfectly pain and stress free. Making the public conscious of options for treatment is not a bad thing. But these false advertisements are misleading consumers onto unnecessary treatment.

With the increased use of mass media advertisements to the consumer gained the attention of and criticisms of public health officials and physicians like the American Medical Association (AMA). Opponents of directly advertising to consumers argue that the advertisements mislead the consumer to either take prescription drugs that the consumer do not need or turn normal human physiological changes, like hair loss or decreased testosterone levels in aging men, as diseases. Further, opponents like the AMA argue that patients see the advertisements and insist that the doctor prescribe the medication, even though there are negative side effects of the prescription medicine. All the arguments set forth by the opponents of DTCA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a US government agency that regulate DTCA for the pharmaceutical industry is currently evaluating the policies that dictate direct advertisements to consumers. The American Medical Association is currently seeking a federal ban on direct to consumer advertising. Therefore companies that had an effective non-market strategy for the consumer rights movement may have found it insufficient to deal with the downstream issues that came with directly

Chris Bevolo is the author of, Joe Public Doesn’t Care about Your Hospital. He is a healthcare marketing change agent and owner of Interval, a Minneapolis-based healthcare marketing firm that is leading the transformation of healthcare marketing. He is an author and frequent keynote speaker. In his book, Joe Public Doesn 't Care about Your Hospital: A Manifesto for Transforming Healthcare Marketing, Chris Bevolo identifies five key beliefs organizations must utilize if they want to break from the past and move their marketing strategies forward finding better ways in the face of intense changes for the future; 1. Engage consumers with relevant messaging and content 2. Embrace new tools and techniques 3. Break bad marketing habits 4. Drive brand building 5. Build a market measurement discipline.

Analyze the current health care delivery structure in your state. Compare and contrast the major determinants of healthcare market power.

The concept of health services marketing is centered on “the analysis, planning, implementation, and control of carefully formulated programs designed to promote voluntary exchanges of values with target markets with the purpose of achieving organizational objectives (Longest et al. 2000, p 358). The marketing department of any health care organization requires knowledge of the current and future needs and desires of the target market, which will allow strategic planners to determine services and products that can be offered. An assessment of the target markets

In contrast to tangible dominant offerings that can be felt, tasted, and seen, the healthcare services that are offered by the hospital can be categorized as intangible dominant. This intangible service is largely characterized by interactions with healthcare professionals, education on health conditions, and ultimately a better quality of health. Though the offering is primarily intangible, if the hospital is to be successful they should integrate a few tangible aspects to the offering. If the end goal of the service is to tend to the needs of the patient’s health through a primarily intangible offering, tangible elements such as medical equipment,