project report medison

8/12/2019 Project Report Medison

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Marketing of Medison Hospital

Submitted by:Sadaf Iqbal

BBA-Semester III(2010-13)

Enrolment no:

A7006410027

Under guidance of:

Faculty Guide:Mrs. Sabeeha Fatma

LecturerABS,Lucknow

(RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT FOR THE BACHELOR BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (2010-13)

AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH, LUCKNOW


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OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY :

To Examine the satisfaction level of consumers by

the facility provided in the Medison Hospital.

To Study awareness of consumers regardingservices.

To examine new areas of marketing of medisonhospital.

INTRODUCTION

The growing demand for the quality health care services in India has resulted

in mush rooming of hospitals of different sizes and scales in different cities of

India. Due to high investment costs on the infrastructure and equipment, its

success or failure in commercial terms depends mainly on bed ocupancy rates,quality of services and availability of competent staff. Having state of the art


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equipment and best battery of medical and paramedical professional alone

cannot guarantee any faster return on investment (ROI). The reluctance of

Indian masses to part with their hard earned money on health insurance

premiums has made it harder for the existing hospitals to grab their share of a

small percenatge of patients who can afford to pay from their own pockets for

the quality health care services available at private hospitals. The founders of

the Medison hospital with high investment at stake were faced with a daunting

task of establishing itself as truly service- focused entity end emerge as one of

the top five of its peers in the city of Lucknow.

Ethical ly Right

Market ing of hospi t a l was cons idered une th ica l in the e igh t i es

.Today some degree of marketing is essential to hospital success,

some cases even survival Hospitals provide the most vitalservicest h a t h u m a n b e i n g s c a n n e e d . E m p t y h o s p i t a l b e d s

a n d u n d e r utilized equipment and staff are ultimately costly to patients and

to the society. Marketing seeks to match what the hospital

providesa n d w h a t t h e p u b l i c w a n t s . B y h e l p i n g t o a d j u s t t

h e h o s p i t a l sfac i l i t i es and serv ices to bes t meet the communi tys t rue hea l t

hcare needs marketing benefits the patients and the society.Hospital with

responsive effective marketing programs will enjoy public acceptance

and support

What is Marketing?


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Before you learn more about marketing in the many links later on below topic,

you should first understand what marketing is, because the topic is so often

misunderstood. Marketing is the wide range of activities involved in making

sure that you're continuing to meet the needs of your customers and are getting

appropriate value in return.

How Marketing is So Misunderstood

Far too often, organizations try to develop a product to meet customers needswithout ever really verifyingwhat the customers wanted in the first place.

Instead, those organizations make a strenuous effort to sell the product

through rigorous, ongoing advertising, promotions and publicity -- through"outbound" marketing. These organizations may have built a beautiful ladder

but it may be entirely on the wrong roof! Far too often, that lesson comes from

painful experience.

Experienced organizations have learned that it is not their opinion that matters

most regarding whether their product is needed or not. The opinion that matters

most is that of the customers. These organizations have learned that they might

not know what they don't know about their customers. That precious

knowledge about the customers comes from "inbound" marketing -- throughmarket research to clarify customers' needs and what they are willing to do to

get those needs met. If the inbound marketing is done well, the outbound

marketing is particularly easy -- and effective.

Inbound Marketing Includes Market Research to Find Out:

1. What specific groups of potential customers/clients (markets) mighthave which specific needs (nonprofits often already have a very clear

community need in mind when starting out with a new program --however, the emerging practice of nonprofit business development, or

earned income development, often starts by researching a broad group of

clients to identify new opportunities for programs)

2. How those needs might be met for each group (or target market), whichsuggests how a product might be designed to meet the need (nonprofits

might think in terms of outcomes, or changes, to accomplish among thegroups of clients in order to meet the needs)

3. How each of the target markets might choose to access the product, etc.(its "packaging")


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4. How much the customers/clients might be willing pay and how (pricinganalysis)

5. Who the competitors are (competitor analysis)6. How to design and describe the product such that customers/clients will

buy from the organization, rather than from its competitors (its uniquevalue proposition)

7. How the product should be identified -- its personality -- to be mostidentifiable (its naming and branding)

Outbound Marketing Includes:

1. Advertising and promotions (focused on the product)2. Sales3. Public and media relations (focused on the entire organization)4. Customer service5. Customer satisfaction

It's easy to become confused about these terms: advertising, marketing,

promotion, public relations and publicity, and sales. The terms are often used

interchangeably. However, they refer to different -- but similar activities. Some

basic definitions are provided below. A short example is also providedhopefully to help make the terms more clear to the reader.

One Definition of Advertising

Advertising is bringing a product (or service) to the attention of potential and

current customers. Advertising is focused on one particular product or service.

Thus, an advertising plan for one product might be very different than that for

another product. Advertising is typically done with signs, brochures,commercials, direct mailings or e-mail messages, personal contact, etc.

One Definition of Promotion

Promotion keeps the product in the minds of the customer and helps stimulate

demand for the product. Promotion involves ongoing advertising and publicity

(mention in the press). The ongoing activities of advertising, sales and publicrelations are often considered aspects of promotions.


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One Definition of Marketing

Marketing is the wide range of activities involved in making sure that you're

continuing to meet the needs of your customers and getting value in return.

Marketing is usually focused on one product or service. Thus, a marketing planfor one product might be very different than that for another product.

Marketing activities include "inbound marketing," such as market research to

find out, for example, what groups of potential customers exist, what their

needs are, which of those needs you can meet, how you should meet them, etc.Inbound marketing also includes analyzing the competition, positioning your

new product or service (finding your market niche), and pricing your products

and services. "Outbound marketing" includes promoting a product throughcontinued advertising, promotions, public relations and sales.

One Definition of Public relations

Public relations includes ongoing activities to ensure the overall company has a

strong public image. Public relations activities include helping the public to

understand the company and its products. Often, public relations are conducted

through the media, that is, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. As noted

above, public relations is often considered as one of the primary activitiesincluded in promotions.

One Definition of Publicity

Publicity is mention in the media. Organizations usually have little control

over the message in the media, at least, not as they do in advertising.Regarding publicity, reporters and writers decide what will be said.

One Definition of Sales

Sales involves most or many of the following activities, including cultivating

prospective buyers (or leads) in a market segment; conveying the features,

advantages and benefits of a product or service to the lead; and closing the sale(or coming to agreement on pricing and services). A sales plan for one productmight be very different than that for another product.

An Example of the Definitions

The following example may help to make the above five concepts more clear. I

recently read that the story comes from theReader's Digest, a quote found in"Promoting Issues and Ideas" by M. Booth and Associates, Inc. (Thanks to

Jennifer M. Seher, participant in [email protected] online discussion group.)


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"... if the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying 'Circus Coming

to the Fairground Saturday', that's advertising. If you put the sign on the back

of an elephant and walk it into town, that's promotion. If the elephant walks

through the mayor's flower bed, that's publicity. And if you get the mayor to

laugh about it, that's public relations." If the town's citizens go the circus, youshow them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll havespending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, theyspend a lot at the circus, that's sales.


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Features/ Nature of Marketing Orientation:-

1. Consumers

Consumers are the king of market and all salesmen who want to sell goodsto consumers, should create good relationship with consumer and also

solve their problems for enhancing the product branding in market.

2. Organizational Capability

Before marketing, it is very necessary that company should see his

organizational capability which is available to fulfill the order of sale. If

not, then create the limit of marketing.

3. Competitors

It is also nature of marketing that you will see competitors in the your

market. Never ignore them and create advance strategy to fight and defeat

your competitors. Some time, new competitors may be your friends for

increasing sale because every new competitor helpful to make a physical

market for you where consumer can come and buy.

4. Co-ordination

It is also nature of marketing that it is connected with other activities. It is

the duty of marketing manager to do co-ordination with other

department.

5. Performance

Marketing should be based on performance. We have to pay for all cost on

the basis of past selling. If any branchs sale value is high. We should

promote that branch by increasing the salary that branchs salesmen andadvertising cost.

Main Marketing Concept

1. Production Concept

This concept guides us that we should produce the products at minimum

production cost.

2. Product Concept


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This concept guides us that we should sell the best quality product to

consumers.

3. Selling Concept

Selling concept guides us that we should take minimum selling price from

consumer. For this we have to decrease our selling cost.

4. Marketing Concept

Marketing concept guides us that in this era, consumer is king of market

and all marketing activities main target should be to satisfy the

consumers.

Marketing Mix

The marketing mixis probably the most famous marketing term. Its

elements are the basic, tactical components of a marketing plan. Alsoknown as the Four P's, the marketing mixelements

areprice,place,product,andpromotion.Read on for more details on the

marketing mix.
http://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-pricing.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-pricing.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-place.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-place.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-plc.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-plc.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-plc.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-promotion.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-promotion.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-promotion.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-promotion.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-plc.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-place.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-place.htmlhttp://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-pricing.html


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Product:It is the tangible object or an intangible service that is getting

marketed through the program. Tangible products may be items like consumer

goods (Toothpaste, Soaps, Shampoos) or consumer durables (Watches, IPods).

Intangible products are service based like the tourism industry and information

technology based services or codes-based products like cellphone load and

credits. Product design which leads to the product attributes is the most

important factor. However packaging also needs to be taken into consideration

while deciding this factor. Every product is subject to a life-cycle including a

growth phase followed by an eventual period of decline as the product

approaches market saturation. To retain its competitiveness in the market,

continuous product extensions though innovation and thus differentiation is

required and is one of the strategies to differentiate a product from its

competitors.

Price:The price is the simply amount a customer pays for the product. If the

price outweigh the perceived benefits for an individual, the perceived value of

the offering will be low and it will be unlikely to be adopted, but if the benefits

are perceived as greater than their costs, chances of trial and adoption of the

product is much greater.

Place: Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It isoften referred to as thedistribution channel. This may include any physical

store (supermarket, departmental stores) as well as virtual stores (e-markets

and e-malls) on the Internet. This is crucial as this provides the place utility to

the consumer, which often becomes a deciding factor for the purchase of many

products across multiple product categories.

Promotion: This represents all of the communications that a marketer may use

in the marketplace to increase awareness about the product and its benefits to

the target segment. Promotion has four distinct elements: advertising, public

relations, personal selling andsales promotion.A certain amount of crossoveroccurs when promotion uses the four principal elements together (e.g in film

promotion). Sales staff often play a major role in promotion of a product.
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Branding

A brandis theidentity of a specificproduct,service,orbusiness.

A brand can take many forms, including aname,sign,symbol,color

combination orslogan.The wordbrandingbegan simply as a way to tell oneperson's cattle from another by means of ahot iron stamp.A legally

protected brand nameis called atrademark.The word brand has continued to

evolve to encompass identity - it affects the personality of a product, company

or service.

The Importance of Branding
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Branding is an integral part of thebusiness building process.Large

corporations spend hundreds of millions of dollars building their brands, andtheres a reason:

Brands enable customers to remember your product-service.

Brands build customer loyalty and lead to repeat purchases. Brands make it easier for current clients or customers to refer you to

others.

Brands send a message as to what your customers can expect. Brands convey an emotion. Brands add value. Economies of scale (production and distribution) Laying the groundwork for future extensions worldwide Maintaining consistent brand imagery Quicker identification and integration of innovations (discovered

worldwide)

Preempting international competitors from entering domestic markets orlocking you out of other geographic market.

Increasing international media reach (especially with the explosion ofthe Internet) is an enabler

Example : People dont mind buying Apple products at a higher price as a

result of brand loyalty. Apple has also become a status symbol. In all these

cases, branding has played a major role.
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An Interesting fact about Apples branding :TheApple Storeis an integral

part of the Apple Brand Experience. The hip factor that characterizes Apple

Products are extended into street-level through the store. Blended with Apples

corporate culture characterized by friendly, care-free and egalitarian service,

delivered by mostly youthful-looking staff, some of whom look like surfer

dudes and cool geeks.Within a few short years, theApple Store spread to over

200 stores, starting in the US and later in major cities across the world.

Service Marketing

Service marketing is a sub field of marketing, which can be split into the two

main areas of goods marketing (which includes the marketing of fast moving

consumer goods (FMCG) and durables) and services marketing. Services

marketing typically refers to both business to consumer (B2C) and business to

business (B2B) services, and includes marketing of services like

telecommunications services, financial services, all types of hospitality

services, car rental services, air travel, health care services and professional

services. The range of approaches and expressions of a marketing idea

developed with the hope that it be effective in conveying the ideas to the

diverse population of people who receive it.

Services are economic activities offered by one party to another. Often time-

based, performances bring about desired results to recipients, objects, or other

assets for which purchasers have responsibility. In exchange for money, time,

and effort, service customers expect value from access to goods, labor,

professional skills, facilities, networks, and systems; but they do not normally

take ownership of any of the physical elements involved.

There has been a long academic debate on what makes services different from

goods. The historical perspective in the late-eighteen and early-nineteenth

centuries focused on creation and possession of wealth. Classical economists

contended that goods were objects of value over which ownership rights could

be established and exchanged. Ownership implied tangible possession of an

object that had been acquired through purchase, barter or gift from the

producer or previous owner and was legally identifiable as the property of the

current owner.

Adam Smiths famous book, The Wealth of Nations, published in Great Britain

in 1776, distinguished between the outputs of what he termed productive and
http://store.apple.com/ushttp://store.apple.com/ushttp://store.apple.com/ushttp://store.apple.com/ushttp://store.apple.com/ushttp://store.apple.com/us


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unproductive labor. The former, he stated, produced goods that could be

stored after production and subsequently exchanged for money or other items

of value. But unproductive labor, however honorable,useful, or

necessary created services that perished at the time of production and

therefore didnt contribute to wealth. Building on this theme, French economist

Jean-Baptiste Say argued that production and consumption were inseparable in

services, coining the term immaterial products to describe them.

Alternative View

A recently proposed alternative view is that services involve a form of rental

through which customers can obtain benefits]. What customers value and are

willing to pay for are desired experiences and solutions. The term, rent, can be

used as a general term to describe payment made for use of something oraccess to skills and expertise, facilities or networks (usually for a defined

period of time), instead of buying it outright (which is not even possible in

many instances).

There are five broad categories within the non-ownership framework

1.Rented goods services: These services enable customers to obtain thetemporary right to use a physical good that they prefer not to own (e.g.

boats, costumes)2.Defined space and place rentals: These services obtain use of a defined

portion of a larger space in a building, vehicle or other area which can

be an end in its own right (e.g. storage container in a warehouse) or

simply a means to an end (e.g. table in a restaurant, seat in an aircraft)

3.Labor and expertise rental: People are hired to perform work thatcustomers either choose not to do for themselves (e.g. cleaning the

house) or are unable to do due to the lack of expertise, tools and skills

(e.g. car repairs, surgery)

4.Access to shared physical environments: These environments can beindoors or outdoors where customers rent the right to share the use of

the environment (e.g. museums, theme parks, gyms, golf courses).

5.Access to and usage of systems and networks: Customers rent the rightto participate in a specified network such as telecommunications,

utilities, banking or insurance, with different fees for varying levels of

access and use.


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Service marketing plays a major role in this project. As hospitals are all

about services. The marketing of hospitals are done in a strategic way. As

health is really important and people dont tend to risk it by going to any

hospital. For this hospitals first have to gain trust of consumers by

improving the quality of the product.

Customer satisfaction is very important in marketing of any

service. If one costumer is satisfied by the service of any hospital,

say medison hospital, then he (the costomer) will praise the service

of the hospital among his friends/relatives, & in a way a it is a

marketing technique and it will lead to promotion of the hospital.

Marketing of Medison Hospital:

MARKETING A HOSPITAL & FACILITIESIndia today boasts of hospitals and establishments that arecomparable to the

worlds best medical facilities. Todays patientsare very

demanding and expec t the bes t qua l i ty of fac i l i t i es

andmedica l care . The hospi t a l s need to conf i rm to NABH (

Nat ional Accreditation Board for Hospitals) and JCI (JointCommissionInternational) guidelines.In keeping with this philosophy

only International best practices areobserved by Hospitals. We need to keep in

mind that the Hospital iso u r s h o w p i e c e a n d o u r s h o w -

r o o m . w h e n a p a t i e n t v i s i t s t h e Hospital he utilizes thefacilities. But his relatives and friends whoaccompany him are also

potential pat ients and the ambience andservices that they avai l of or

observe may influence their decisionshould they ever require medical

a t t e n t i o n . S i n c e a l l f a c i l i t i e s a r e w o r l d -

c l a s s w e m u s t m a k e t h e m e d i c a l f r a t e r n i t y a n d p u b l i c

a t l a r g e a wa re o f th e e x i s t e n c e o f th es e facilities. This

marketing has to be done in India and abroad, wherethe medical facilities are

not so advanced.Medical tourism is a reality and efforts have to be made to

promotethe hospital in countries like Africa, Afghanistan,Pakistan,Bangladesh, Nepal etc where such facilities are not


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easily available.I n a d v a n c e d c o u n t r i e s l i k e t h e U K a n d U

S A t h e f a c i l i t i e s a r e expensive with long waiting lists and

advanced medical facilities in India make it an attractive medical tourism

destination

Marketing department

With the realisation of importance of hospital marketing, the presence of a full-

fledged marketing department has been acknowledged. The marketing

department is said to be the voice of hospital where the brand is fashioned and

communicated, internally as well as to the community at large.

Since Medison hospital made a lot of investments in setting up the

infrastructure and offering its services, selling the services of a hospital needs aproper system. Therefore, the role of the marketing department in Medison

hospital is of paramount importance. Apart from helping to create a brand

image for the healthcare institution, the department acts as an interface

between the doctor and the public.

The marketing department has assumed more importance after the boost inmedical tourism.. The marketing department liaisons with the medical officers

of the other cities to bring patients from other cities or states.

Eg : Many patients of Medison hospital come from Nepal.

The success of the marketing department depends on its association with

various other departments. Organisational excellence is very important than the

departmental excellence. The front end cannot perform its duties without thebacking of the quality of back end operations.

Marketing strategies

Though there are no specific strategies for Medison hospital marketing, a

systematic approach to marketing has evolved over the last year. Medison

Hospital prefer a long-term association with the healthcare institution by

signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU. Marketing experts of this nonfor profit org. believe that a sound Client Relationship Management (CRM)forms the basis for soliciting corporate tie-ups, today.


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Events, both indoor and out-reach programmes, play a significant role in

marketing of healthcare institutions. Continuous medical education, awareness

sessions for general public, check-up camps for public, organising events on

various health days, conducting interviews of specialists on visual media,

informative and interactive website, printing and making readily availablevarious emergency or appointment numbers are the commonest marketingtools.

with the surge in concern in health check ups, Medison hospital has fashionedvarious types of special health check up packages catering to executives,

pregnant women, servants, shop keepers to slum dwellers. Recently, Medison

Hospital celebrated Liver Day, which was aimed at educating and creating

awareness amongst patients and the team had gone various a school in

Faizabad, i.e Faizabad Public school, so they organised a health quiz, whichgenerated a lot of interest.

As patients are the best ambassadors, it is important to take care of their needs

and provide them with best possible care. Their apprehensions should beaddressed so that they have the courage to come back to the same facility, he

adds. Agrees Faizan Iqbal, Managing Director. In this business, everysatisfied customer brings thousand new customers.

Numerous marketing strategies are being adopted by these corporate Hospitals

in order to ensure competitive advantage. Someof them are as follows:

Attractive preventive check up packages comprising of wholebody check-ups

including Blood profile, Ultrasound and treadmill tests, CT scan, endoscopy

etc.

Many hospitals have eminent personalities from theindustryin the i r boa rd of t ruste es .This leads to inc rease inf lo w

of patients working in the companies of these trustees.

Successes of crucial operations and surgeries are discussed

inthe health magazines and newspapers, which become a natural

advantage for the hospital.


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Hospitals holding seminars and conferences relating

tospecific diseases where doctors throughout the country areinvited for

detailed discussion. This makes the hospital wellknown among doctors

who may refer complicated cases to these hospitals.

Hospitals promoting medical colleges. This helps them to generate

extra resources in the form of fees using the same infrastructure

As we all know, marketing of any hospital can be really difficult as it involves

a strategic way of marketing. The marketing managing team of Medison

Hospital has studied various elements of marketing mix for the marketing of

the hospital. The following are the elements :

People Product Price Promotion Place Packaging Positioning


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People

The patients, clients, customers, prospective patients, providers, staf f ,

management - everyone - involved in the healthcare organi zation, facil i ty, or

practice.

The people who deliver a service are a significant ingredient in the product

itself. Consumers evaluate service and satisfaction based on perceptions and

personal interactions. A patient doesn't have much insight to a physician's

clinical skills, but they will know if they are pleased based on dealt with them

as a person. Your reputation and your brand are not yours aloneit's a matterof teamwork.

Questions :Have the people (demographics, psychographics, geographic) we

served changed? Do we have the right staff people in the right positions to

serve the people we see? Do they have the right training, experience or otherskills needed? Do they know what's expected?

The People component reflects the important role played by individuals in the

provision of services. People are also an important element in the marketingmix.


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Service personnel play an important role in an organization which offers

service. The behaviour and attitude of the personnel offering service will

influence the customer's overall perception of the service. Customers are asource of influencing other customers by word of mouth.

It is necessary that the staff in hospital are trained to offer quality patient care

with human touch using state of the art technology.

The objective of offering quality service to the patients can be attained by:

o Motivating employees to be efficient, dedicated and loyal tothe organization.

o Offering regular on-job training of employees to ensurecontinuous improvement in health care.

o Utilizing services of professional competent medicalconsultants.

o Use of latest technology.Motivation is not necessarily by giving high salaries. There are many other

ways to motivate the employees. Concessions should be given to the

employee's near ones. There should be regular liaison with them at all times.Knowing what the employees want is very important. There should be active

participation of the employees in the activities of the hospital.

In a hotel, where the clientele is happy, free from any kind of tension, the job

of the staff becomes much easier, whereas in a hospital, the staff has to cater to

the needs of sick, depressed and an agitated lot. Warm ambiences with

efficient and cheerful staff help make the experience of the public a memorable

one. Therefore, it is very important that the staff of the hospital is friendly and

comforting, always wearing a smile.

Product

Presenti ng the corr ect product (goods and/or services) with values that meet

or exceed the needs and expectations of the target market.

When was the last time you took an unbiased and critical look at yourself

products, service, value proposition, facilitythe works? For a toothpaste

company, the "product" is a box on the store shelf. But the product for service

organizations is usually defined in terms of personal happiness: less tangiblethan a pretty box and not easily quantified.


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The primary determinant is in knowing that customers perceive and receivevalue and satisfaction by way of your healthcare practice or organization.

Questions :Does the current product, service, or product mix answer the

needs of the customers? Do they deliver significant value? Are they properlypresented? How do they compare and distinguish their value above the

competition? What should be changed or added? Is there a product or service

that you could offer that answers a need of the target audience?

Apart from the above mentioned services, hospital also offers "Health

Diagnosis Programme" which is a complete, comprehensive, periodic healthcheck up offered for busy executives, professionals, business persons and so

on. The health diagnosis programme comprises of the following:

1. Master health check up

2. Executive Health check up

3. Diabetics health check ups etc.,

Generally, the service offering in a hospital comprises of the following levels:

1. Core levelit comprises of the basic treatment facilities and services

offered by the hospital like diagnostic services, emergency services, casuality

services etc.

2. Expected levelit comprises of cleanliness and hygiene levels maintained

in the hospital.

3. Augmented levelit comprises of dress code for staff, air conditioning ofthe hospital, use of state of art technology, services of renowned consultants.

Price

The amount paid in exchange for the value received. Pri ce must be

competiti ve and lead to profi t, but may vary wi thin promotional and/or

bundle purchase options.


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Price is a toughie in the healthcare industry. Sometimes there are few or no

options: Price is what it is, or maybe it's paid through an individual's insurance.

Elective care or cosmetic procedures, of course, are a different animal.

Anywhere in this spectrum, price is also a function of value, competition in the

marketplace, and affordability. Take a serious look at those areas where thereis flexibility, and be open to adjusting prices.

Questions :Is perceived and delivered value in line with price? Are prices

connected to the realities of the marketplace, including competition, economicenvironment, etc.? Do we need to raise or lower prices selectively, add value

to current prices, or eliminate specific services? What affordability options dowe offer, such as patient financing, special offers, or product mix?

As the service is intangible, it is very hard for deciding the price of the

particular service offered. Pricing strategy adopted in Medison Hospitaldoes not depend on the price offered by competitors. The pricing strategy is

formulated after consulting the concerned heads of department. Prices of

various facilities revised every year depending on the change in technology.Before fixing prices, government controls are also taken into consideration.

On admission, an initial deposit will be collected at the inpatient billingcounter. The amount extends on the category of room and the treatment or

surgical procedure planned. Various categories of rooms, ranging from the

general ward which attends to the needs of the lower classes to the deluxe suitewhich attends to the needs of the middle and upper classes are available.

Medison Hospital does not believe in profit maximization, it aims at providingquality service for its customers at reasonable price.

Promotion

The many and various forms of communicating with the target audience

to effectively present benefits, answer needs and inspire action.

For this list, it's convenient that Promotion begins with a P, but some

healthcare professionals react negatively to the "retail" or "blue-light-special"

connotation. A better label for this category is communications, meaning all

the direct and indirect ways of expressing yourself (your practice, your brand,your services) to those who need and want your services.


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This includes both personal or direct interaction (one-to-one, inspiring

referrals), and interacting with many (advertising, public relations, publicity).

In all instances, this is done in a professional way. The objective is to critically

examine how, where and when you let others know about what you can do for

them. (And those in need want this information.)

This is also where you consider changes in the media that's in play. A few

years ago, nobody had a website. And a few moments ago, Social Media

Marketing had yet to be invented. Some newspapers have disappeared or goneonline only. Magazines and other publications, online and in print, adjust tocapture audiences.

Questions:What's playing on all my communications channels? Is it the right

message? Is it being seen and heard by the right audience? Does the message

need to be revised...the volume increased...the presentation refreshed? Am Isticking to my Marketing Plan, measuring results, and making adjustments?

What new marketing approaches, strategies and/or media are available andneed to be considered?

Promotion function of any service organization involves the transmission of

message to present, past and potential customers. Customers need to be madeaware of the existence of the service offered. Promotion includes advertising,

personal selling, sales promotion and publicity.

Medison Hospital does not normally undertake aggressive promotion, they rely

a lot on a favourable word of mouth. To crease the clientele, a hospital may

continuously introduce different health services like the accupressure clinic,

master health programmes and diabetes health checkups apart from annualhealth checkups offered to different companies. (Corporate clients)

Medison Hospital conduct camps in rural areas to give medical check ups at a

reasonable price so that the rural people approach the hospital again in the

future. They also sponsor frequent visits to the spastic society, old age homes,etc. Hospitals generally advertise in health and fitness magazines.

Place

Presenting products or services to the customer (patient, cli ent, end-user) i n

the right place and at the right time.


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The most obvious "place" is the office, facility, SurgiCenterwhere the

product meets the user. In healthcare, the place for purchase decision is often

separate from where and when product/service is delivered. Keep this spectrum

in mind...a change in location can impact the decision to buy. And it's likely

that more than one "place" is involved when there are multiple providers in thepractice and/or multiple offices.

(Importantly, place can also refer to your marketplace demographics, or eventhe world if you deliver services over the Internet.)

Questions :What's the ideal place or location to offer or provide your

products/services? Do different locations require different approaches orpresentations? How does the end-user get the necessary information to reach a

buying decision? Are there other or additional places (locations) where your

products/services should be offered?

The two major issues considered regarding the decision of a place areaccessibility and availability of the service to customers. Accessibility refers

to the ease and convenience with which a service can be purchased, used or

received. Availability refers to the extent to which a service is obtainable orcapable of being purchased, used and received.

Factors influencing the placing decision are market size and structure by

geographical regions, number and types of competitors in the region, location

of potentially attractive consumer segments, local infrastructure, good road

access facilities and public transportation network. A hospital must be ideallylocated and must be easily accessible to all.

PackagingWhat the customer perceives and experiences about you, your

product/servicetangible and intangiblein every form of visual contact.

(Sometimes " Physical" or " Physical Evidence." )

This is not only the hands-on, physical container of a physical product...the

definition is also experiential, and often more so for healthcare marketing.

Look at this through the end-user's window, and everything counts. Take a

fresh lookas if for the first timeat the appearance of the physical office or


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location, the impression of your reception area, the look and feel of brochuresand website, and even the appearance of staff.

Some doctors never walk through the front door of their own office. Try it.

You might be surprised to see what patients are seeing as they form their firstimpressions. (First impressions take about 10 seconds to form...and you'veonly got one shot at it.)

Packaging can also refer to how you bundle services (think of a plastic surgeon

offering a "mommy makeover"lipo and tummy tuckfor moms who have

finished having children).

Questions :What does a new patient see and feel? Will the first impression

exceed expectations? What would "secret shopper" discover and report to me?

How do new patients describe their experience to others-good, bad, orordinary? Does the packaging create an impression of confidence? Whatchangeslarge or smallwould engender trust? How can I bundle our

services?

PROCESSProcess is a set of activities that take an input, convert it and add value to the

input and finally create an output. Process has only recently been given muchattention in the service sector although it has been the subject to study in

manufacturing for many years. Processes are designed by blue a print, whichsets a standard for action to take place and to implement the service.

In Medison hospital, the process is divided into three phases.

1. The Joining Phase


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It includes the following:

* The arrival of the patient.

* Registrationwhere a patient has to make an initial deposit at the in-patientbilling counter after which a file is opened in the patient's name to know thepatient's medical history.

2. The Intensive consumption Phase


Diagnosiswhere the consultant diagnoses the illness by making the patients

undergo various tests.

Treatmentwhen the illness is treated with proper medication or surgery and

so on.

Information about further actionsthe consultant will instruct the patient

regarding the diet to be followed, the medication to be taken, when to consult

him again in the future and so on.

3. The detachment Phase


* Discharge of the patienta patient can be discharged from the hospital on

the advice of the consultant

* Paymentafter the patient is discharged, the bill will be paid at the billing

counter.

4. Feedback

At this stage, the patient is requested to fill an evaluation form, which assists

the hospital authorities to know the level of satisfaction derived by the patient.

Patients' suggestions are always welcomed, valued and considered and many

times are very useful for improving the services of the hospital.

General Process Organization in a Hospital


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Within the hospital, it each department is looked, it is noticed that each

department serves the needs of another department, for example, the purchase

department serves the needs of the stores, the billing department serves of the

finance department and so on. So in a way, each department is a customer to

another department, while at the same time it might be a supplier to another

department. Each department is an "internal customer" or the otherdepartments.

Only when each unit of the hospital understands who their customers are and

what their needs are, will the hospital develop basis for giving the best servicein the most efficient way to the patient.

In a way, each department or unit should consider itself to be a service

provider serving the needs of the customer department. In a superficial level, it

may seem as if each department is working as an independent unit rather than a

team. However, the world-over in many organizations that have used this

concept, it has found that this kind of a customer-supplier relationship helps to

offer an important system of checks and balances and gives the organization amore focused customer orientation.

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

It is the environment in which the service is delivered with physical or tangible

commodities and where the firm and the customer interact. Physical evidenceplays an important role in hospital services.

It makes a huge impact on the customer. Physical evidence offers customers

means of evaluating the service. Corporate image plays in important role interms of physical evidence. This can be developed through corporate relation

programmes.

Modern hospitals need to create a good ambience. Right from the reception

one finds very cordial and comforting staff. The ambience plays an important

role because when a patient walks into the hospital he immediately forms anopinion about the hospital.


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The staff follows a dress code to show professionalism and to maintain

discipline. The staff is trained to be understanding, warm and comfortingbecause the clientele that goes to the hospital is usually disturbed or unhappy.

It is necessary for a hospital to be well organized and segregated into differentdepartments. All the doctors should be offered with a well-equipped cabin.

The entire hospital requires to be centrally air-conditioned with good lighting.

Ventilation is taken care of by air-conditioning.

Special care should be taken to maintain hygienic, cleanliness and whole

hospital must be well lit. This is taken care of by the housekeeping

department. A hospital has to keep in mind both the aspects of physicalevidence that is essential and peripheral evidence. Physical evidence

particularly plays an important role in the hospital where the patients are

already depressed or traumatized and a good atmosphere could make all thedifference.

CONCLUSION

Marketing is a function by which a marketer plans, promotes, and delivers

goods and services to the customers. In the services marketing, the providers

are supposed to influence and satisfy the users. When people buy services

offered by a service provider in a true sense, they buy the time, knowledge,

skill or resources. Marketing the service is meant marketing somethingintangible. It is like marketing a promise. The applications of marketing

principles in the services sector are the main things in the services marketing.It is the managerial process of managing the service.


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Healthcare Marketing: Seven Rules of Social MediaFoll owed by

Medison Hospital

Social media success, like most everything, requi res master ing the basics.

Social networking can be very helpful to hospitals and healthcareorganizations. And healthcare marketers have used it with varying degrees of

success. But there are some basic rules, which must be followed to build

online relationships and leverage the power of social media.

Here are seven fundamentals for social media success:

1. ListenSocial networking for marketers is more about listening and less

about talking. Listen to discover whats important to your target audience.

Only by listening can you create quality conversation thats relevant and addsvalue to your friends and followers.

2. QualityIts not about quantityhow many online connections you have.

But more about quality. Itsbetter to have a few relationships that value

your content and who are loyal than to have thousands you connect initially

but never become engaged.

3. FocusYou cant be everything to everybody. Its more important to be

narrowly focused providing specifically directed content. A focus intended tobuild your brand instead of being too broad and general.

4. ConsistencyIts like any relationship; you cant be a friend just every-

once-in-a-while. A friend is there consistently. To have meaningful

relationships you need to have frequent contact and dialog. If you

disappear for a while, your followers will leave youfor a more reliable

relationship

5. ValuePeople dont like others who talk about themselves all the time. Afriend must care and bring something worthwhile to the relationship. You
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cant use social networking to always promote your brand or services.It

must be about providing something of value.

6. AcknowledgmentPeople dont like to be ignored. If they are ignored for

very long, they will find better friends elsewhere. So when someone reachesout or participates in a

7. PatienceStrong relationships are not built quickly. And social media

success doesnt happen overnight. It takes a commitment for the long haul.

As we swim into the waters of social media its easy to be overwhelmed and

begin to sink. But as healthcare marketers if we adhere to these basic

rules, our likelihood of long-term success is greatly enhanced.

Healthcare Marketing: 10 Tips for More Effective Social

Media Marketing

Scientif ic research indicates that certain proven strategies can enhance

social marketing eff orts.
http://marketingyourhospital.com/2011/02/15/healthcare-marketing-10-tips-for-more-effective-social-media-marketing/http://marketingyourhospital.com/2011/02/15/healthcare-marketing-10-tips-for-more-effective-social-media-marketing/http://jimmywarren.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/social-media-stamp.jpghttp://marketingyourhospital.com/2011/02/15/healthcare-marketing-10-tips-for-more-effective-social-media-marketing/http://marketingyourhospital.com/2011/02/15/healthcare-marketing-10-tips-for-more-effective-social-media-marketing/


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Branding of M edison Hospital

Branding has hit the radar for hospitals and healthcare organizations. Theindustrys marketing efforts are maturing to the point that marketers and senior

management are beginning to realize how important their brand is. And

rightfully so. The battle for the consumers minds and future market share willbe determined by our brand perception.

But for many marketers, branding is about logos and typefaces, corporate

identity standards and taglines. Good branding encompasses these things butits so much more. It s really more about the consumers experience.Whatdoes your brand communicate each day to those who come in contact with it?

And its not just the patients experience that determines the brand. Its

also the patients family and friends and what their experiences are like.

And employees and how they experience the brand. And suppliers and

vendors. The community at large. Its the totality of all the touch points.

By everyone.

Medison hospital keeps on updating logos and altering the visual look of their

communications. We see them changing positioning lines. And giving

facelifts to their facilities. All of which is good. Very good in fact. But ifthat is all thats changing, its only cosmetic and only skin deep.

These changes help position a brand but the most important thing is the

experience it delivers. What is the experience like? It has to do with parking,cleanliness, friendliness courtesy, wait times, competence, customer service,caring, attitudes and everything else that affects a persons experience.

Its great that hospital marketers and seniormanagement are turning their

attention to their brand. But hopefully its more than just aesthetics.

Hopefully the emphasis is on the total experience delivered by the hospital.
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Thats what will really determine your brand in the minds and hearts ofconsumers.

For brands, change for change sake is not a good thing. For healthcare

marketers, we need a strong message, a story that resonates with the consumer,a brand with a promise. And we need to stick to it. Continuity ad consistency

with one simple, and powerful message will make our brand grow stronger andstronger over time. We must resist the change for change sake.

Advertising

Advertising can be defined as the business of drawing public attention to goods

or services .It can also be defined as public promotion of a particular good or

service.

With the growing number of hospitals around, there has been an immense

increase in competition between them. Every hospital will want to performbetter than the other. Therefore Advertising is becoming really popular amongthe hospitals.

Hospitals in India hardly advertise. Most of them look at advertising as an

unnecessary expense and keep it minimal. This really need not be so. Looked

from another angle, advertising for a hospital can be a critical investment,which allows it to differentiate its services, educate customers about its core

beliefs, introduce new products and services and help gain new customers.

Unfortunately, in India hospitals believe that customers do not appreciate

hospital advertising and may even be put off by it. Many hospitals, who aredoing well do not see the need for advertising. With occupancy rates high, the

hospitals feel they are wasting money by advertising. Little do they realise that

advertising quite often is not only about getting more patients.

To make matters worse, whatever little advertising one sees is

mostly inane and dull. The communication usually bears the imprint of toomany cooks adding different flavours to the advertising, making it a weird


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medley of pictures, long copy and a strange layouts. The marketing teams in

the hospital are forced to accommodate various view opinions (that of the

hospital COO/CEO, the heads of medical departments, other leading

physicians, the sales head, and sometimes the owner of the hospital ) arrive at a

piece of communication, which is usually a disaster from a marketingcommunications point of view. While, this piece assuaged inflated egos,ensures gory pictures (usually reflecting some landmark surgery) in the ads,

highlights achievements of some or the other doctors, it fails in its primary

purpose of connecting with the end-user.

Here are a few reasons, why hospitals should look at their advertising a lot

more seriously and spend money wisely in connecting with their customers.

Core Beliefs and Positioning?Medison hospital advertises its core beliefs through a well thought of brand

campaign. It is imperative for customers to know what their hospital stands for,

what its core values are and how does it strive to stay true to those beliefs.

Thus, if a hospital professes to provide Total Patient Careas a consumer wewould love to know, what it means and what all can we expect from Medison

hospital. Similarly if any otherhospital is positioned as a cutting edge

technology centre we would like to know what that means to me as acustomer. A hospital must stand for something in the consumers mind.

Products and Services

A hospital offers a multitude of services. Customers need to know about themand hence advertising is a good way of keeping customers informed. New

services keep getting added from time to time and the hospitals need to keep

their customers updated. Recently Max Healthcare started its cancer services.

All that they did was release a solitary advertisement, welcoming the newChairman of Cancer services!!! The ad was also supposed to serve the purpose

of informing the customers about the commencement of cancer care services at

the hospital. Wouldnt it make greater sense to announce the commencement

of a service with a nice campaign and if needed also feature

the medicalleader/team in the ads?


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Hospital Launch:A new hospital commencing operations needs high decibel advertising.

Artemis did this well, when we Medison hospital was launched. They had

large bill boards in Lucknow, a fairly heavy presence in the local print mediaand local community engagement through fam visits to the hospital.

However, many hospitals too try to save money by launching quietly andhoping the customers will come through the word of mouth or through doctors

pulling in their existing customers. I believe, these are sub-optimal ways of

launching the hospitals services and an old-fashioned media blitzkrieg works

the best.

Renewing Existing Services:

Medison believes Sometimes it is necessary that a hospital renew its existing

services.

FOR EXAMPLE :These days, we see some bill boards near my residence

advertising Apollos new Knee Clinic. The communication is targeted at theelderly, informs about the new Knee Clinic, which offers Knee Replacement

services at the hospital. Now, Apollo hospital has been doing knees for a long

time, however the communication is trying to repackage the service andrelaunch it. Unfortunately, There are just two bill boards and, while the intent

is laudable, the hospital is being very stingy.. Other hospitals too need to often

renew and repackage their services smartly.

Driving TrafficMedison Hospital drives traffic to their OPDs through innovative offers. In

fact the bulk of hospital advertising today focuses here. A free Cardiac Camparound the World Heart Day is routine. Similar camps and offers in other

specialities help drive traffic to the hospital OPDs. The problem here is that

hospital do these sporadically, without adequate planning and often as band-aid

solutions to transient OPD traffic related issues. Tactical campaigns need to be

more consistent and better planned to yield optimal results.

Educating Customers


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Wouldnt it be wonderful if a hospital did an educational campaign about let us

say heart disease or diabetes or any other lifestyle diseases. Medison does

that.The campaign aims to educate customers about the disease, its symptoms,

treatment options, success rates, technology available and

the medical expertise available to treat the disease. The objective is to informthe customers, help them ask the right questions and thus make the rightchoices. Unfortunately, Medison hospital os not willing to invest alot in

patient education simply because the returns are relatively long-term.

Medison hospital has been advertising its services. The marketing departmenthas made various efforts to advertise the hospital. Some of the following

methods of advertising used were the following :

1. Banner of Medison hospital near roads: The banner of medisonhospital can be seen near many roads of Lucknow. The banner showsthe address of the hospital, the services which are provided there.

2. Distribution of calenders with Medison Hospital printed on it: Innew years, Medison hospital prints calendars which are distributed over

a large a area. This makes public aware about the hospital. During themonth of Ramadan, Medison hospital prints the timings of every prayerand distributes it.

3. Distributing Giftsamples : Medison hospitals have appointed manysalesmen that distribute gift samples my medison hospital. These gift

samples mainly include a wall clock with medison hospital printed on it.

The salesmen go to every house and make them aware of the hospital

and the services they provide and distributes the gifts.

4. Advertising in Rural Areas by contacting the respected dotor there:We all are aware of the fact that healthservices in Rural Areas are not

satisfactory. Normally in Village areas there are only few doctors.

Medison Hospital has contacted those doctors and in case theres any

patient who cannot be cured in the village itself, the doctor over there

consults the patient of medison hospital. That respected doctor in thevillage receive cuts.


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Public Relation

The Public Relations Department:

Works cooperatively with media to provide the public with newsworthyinformation while ensuring that the basic rights of each patient areadequately protected.

Provides publicity for all newsworthy events, or events in the publicinterest, which involve the Hospital

Manages the Hospital's special events.

Works cooperatively with the public to provide information on requestabout the Hospital, its services and other resources as required.

Provides a professional publication, editing and design service for allHospital departments.

Manages Bandaged Bear appearances.

Organises functions and visits to the Hospital (or involving the Hospital)where they have a publicity or promotions aspect eg. book launch,


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conference, VIP visit, Special functions on independence day, republicday etc.

Provides publicity for Hospital-initiated fundraising events and for otherfundraising events where appropriate.

Coordinates Hospital visits for donors, the public and healthprofessionals as required.

Produces the staff newsletter.

Organises the monthly staff morning teas.

Organises tours of the Hospital.

Manages all liaison between the Hospital and schools for fundraisingand information and education.

Is involved with the Staff Social Club

Advertisement of Hospital Equipments :It is important to explain the public or make them to aware that the hospital is

equipped with modern equipments and technology in order to ensure that they

are better than the competitors and on par with the International standards and

quality consciousness. Advertisement of Hospital Equipments.

Medison Hospital believes that the public should be aware of the latest

equipments of the hospital. For example, when Medison hospital started theirown pathology (June 2009), they made a scheme that on July 15

thcertain check


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ups/tests are going to be cost free. And as a result many people gathered for

their free check ups. This was a strategy of marketing of the hospital newly

opened pathology too make people aware of their new equipments.

Similary, when the hospital started its ICU ward, the marketers approachedcertain famous doctors and asked them to consult their patient (If in need) to

Medison hospital.

Doctors Profile :Only in the medical profession the name and the fame of the doctors profile is

considered as equivalency of the Gods grace. Medison hospital believes that

Doctors are the ones who attract patients more than the hospital itself.

Media interview on hospital and healthcare :Are the primary concern about the medical cares marketing system and

technique. Involves large number of people and clarifying their doubts

irrespective of the doctors and the patients especially Media interview on

hospital and healthcare

The economic conditions of any organization depends largely on the system of

marketing techniques. Proper marketing techniques and management systems

are like an engine to an hospital what so ever the medications and

infrastructure that the hospital have. Therefore it is important and inevitable for

revenue generation, the various techniques to be followed for the successful

process of a hospital.

IMPLICATIONS OF TPA

The existing ill-structured system is being replaced by a reformed but

organized structure called the TPA. An individual doctor through his

attachment to a nursing home or a hospital is able to offer his

professional serv ices via the provider network extending to almost

majority of the nursing homes & hospitals. In an ideal situation theclinician is assured of a steady stream of patients, the nursing home is assured


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of a steady revenue flow and so the upkeep and facilities of the nursing

home & hospital tend to be upgraded. The clinician finds himself in

a better equipped set-up, luxurious clinics (which satisfy ones

patient also), and there is no constant need to

proveo n e s c a p a b i l i t i e s b y t h e n u m b e r o f p a t i e n t s o n e b r in g s t o t h e h o s p i t a l n o r i s o n e o b l i g e d t o b r i n g s u f f i c i e n t b u s i n e s s t o t h e hospital. A favourable work atmosphere creates a

healthy and quality practice, which gives better bargaining power to the

provider wi th the TPA. This is the brighter but achievable picture of

Third party administration of healthcare. The flip side is the managed care

crisis o c c u r r i n g i n U . S . T h e r e a s o n s f o r t h e c r i s i st h o u g h h a v e t o b e studied in context with the American system of

healthcare. It surely cannot be appl ied to the Indian scenario. We have

to wait & watch how many more years it will take for managed care to arrive

just as Health Insurance for all (Health for all!) reforms has taken 50 years

post-independence! It is long overdue for the clinician to undergo

performance scru tiny and objective assessment of onestreatment

outcomes. Before a third party evaluates performance and decides the

efficiency of acl inici an base d on cut t i ng cost s rath er than

quality, it would be prudent for the clinician to submit for continuous

voluntary evaluation through clinical audits, update onesarm ory by

continuous medical education and compete with each other on the

quality criteria, to secure contracts with TPA. This would be possible if the

clinicians lay down code of conduct and regulate themselves by anautonomous body of clinicians. This will suitably dissuade the

TPA to demand cos t -cu tt ing measures caus ing poor

t rea tment ou tcomes as a whole . The sea l o f qua l i ty care by

the heal thcare providers is going to be their bargaining power in long run,be it with the insurance companies or the managed care.

T h e c l i n i c i a n s w o u l d r a t h e r b e r e w a r d e d f o r b e i n g

p a r t o f a n organized, accountable faculty, by the patient. Further the

clinician will retain the supreme authority of thepatientstreatment.

In the reformed system, the Provider (the treating doctor, hospitals,d iagnos t i c l abora tory , rad io logy and imaging centers e t c . ) , wi

l lalways be the vital link of the healthcare chain.It is this fact that the

present clinician must util ize optimally. Wha to n e c a n d o i s

a c c e p t t h e c h a n g e o c c u r r i n g a n d u t i l i z e i t t o o u r benefit

with collective efforts. The issues of concern, the doubts can be tackled if

viewed with a common eye. The arrival of a third party since time

immemorial has been constructive. So shall it be in our country with


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diverse practice of medicine and varying population density and their

unique disease patterns.

TPAS

The hospi ta ls s hould display a l i s t of TPAs on the panel

sothat there is no confusion for the patient.

The hospi talauthori t ies should not hide any informat ion , whichmay goagainst the patient or delay the issue of his or her authorization letter.

The hospitals need to employ an extra staff and should train them to

various aspects of TPAs running. The hospitals

needt o b e t o l e r a n t w h e n d e a l i n g w i t h d i s s a t i s f i e d c u s t o m e

r s / p a t i e n t s w h o h a v e b e e n a s k e d t o w a i t , t i l l a n au th ori za

t ion i s sen t by the TPA. Hospi t a l s even can have

abooklet , h ighl ight ing the terms & condi t ions of Mediclaimpolicies, which could be used to educate the patient, beforethings go out

of hand. The hospitals also should not insist

ona u t h o r i z a t i o n e v e r y t i m e & s h o u l d p r o v i d e f i r s t a i d t o t h e p a t i e n t & e v e n s h o u l d g o a h e a d i n d o i n g a l i f e

s a v i n g procedure , i n an emergency . The hospi t a ls may o r may

not extend discount, commissions to the TPAs depending

upont h e i r p o l i c i e s & p r o c e d u r e s b u t i t s h o u l d d e f i n i t e l y

n o t b e unethical.

Hospital being satisfied with the concept of TPA would like

tof u r t h e r i n s u r e t h e i r o w n s t a f f t h r o u g h a T P A , a s t

h e y f e e l satisfied with the services provided to them.

TPAs feel that it is a good business & a profitable one.

They feel that the hospital authorit ies should not hidean y fa ct s from them & should inform them within 24 hrs of


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a d m i s s i o n . T h e y s h o u l d a d m i t a p a t i e n t o n i t s o n

m e r i t & n o t f a k e emergenci es and g ive unnecessa ry

treatment. The y try to make the payments to the

net wor k h osp ita l but end up nor doing so. They do feel

that at times both patients & net work hospitals use legal

influence to get work out of them, but they seldom do so. They

also share our concern that the patients consumers are not

aware of the various terms & conditions and it is a collective

responsibility of all three to make it more transparent & educative.

People have high expectations from TPAs & when an authorization

is denied to them they scream & c r e a t e a s c e n e . T h e y

fee l tha t they shou ld be g iven ad i scoun t / commiss ion

but seldom insist for it.

The IRDA should play a more active role in

regularizing the number of TPAs in the market. There may

be more than 23TPAs on the panel of IRDA but there

are actually very few around 7 TPAs, which are functioning

smoothly.

I feel it is the collective duty of IRDA, Insurance

companies,TPAs, agents and f inal ly hospi tals to make t

he co ns umermore aware of the various terms & conditions

mentioned in the Me dicl aim po licy. It is also the d uty o f

the consumer/patient to go into the details of the policy which oneis aboutto buy or had a l ready bought . IRDA has to ac t asap o l i c e m a n i n m a k i n g s u r e t h a t t h e s e T P A s m a k e r e g u l

a r p a y m e n t t o N e t w o r k h o s p i t a l s o r o t h e r w i s e t h e y w i l l st o p entertaining the TPAs and ultimately it is the consumer who will

suffer.

I R D A s h o u l d a l s o f i n d m e a n s t o l o w e r t h e w a i t i n g t i m e o f p a t i e n t s a n d m a k e M e d i c l a i m f r i e n d l i e r t o t h e c o n s u

mer.Though the consumer has welcomed the cashless facility butit is

not that simple to access it.


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At the end th e con cerns, which h ave emerged i s t hat , th elevel

of awareness of terms & condition of Mediclaim needs tobe enlarged, and

IRDA role should be more proactive to make Mediclaim more consumers

friendly

Questionnaire

Dear respondent this questionnaire is a part of my thesis study in m y

BBA course for f ind ings of my thes i s top ic Study on Hospi tal MarketingA case of Medison Hospital, Lucknow

. P lease coopera te with for this exercise.

Name of the Patient: ----------------------------------------------------

Q.1: How did come to know about this hospital

A ) f r i e n d B ) R e f e r r e d C ) M e d i a D ) O t h e r

Q.2: Are you the resident of Delhi?

A) Yes B) No

Q.3: For what treatment have you come here?

A) Spina l B) Optha lmology C) Gas t roentero logy D) Other

Q.4: How are the doctors?A) Excellent B) Best C) Good D) Satisfactory

Q.5: Are the doctors available when required?

A ) Y e s B ) N o


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Q.6: The staffs of this hospital are:

A) Excellent B) Best C) Good D) Satisfactory

Q.7: Do TPAS network hospitals entertainyou?

A ) Y e s B ) N o

Q.8: Do the network hospitals fill in the pre-authorization formhonestly

without hiding some facts. A ) Y e s B ) N o

Q.9: Do you pay the hospitals as per your tariff?

A ) Y e s B ) N o

Q.10: Any suggestions regarding the improvement of

HospitalServices?________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________

Thanks for your kind cooperation. I wish you a good recovery

Collection of Data Analysis


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80% of the patients in the hospital are from Lucknow while 20% are not.65% of the patients strongly agree that the staff is highly coorperative

and 10% highly disagree.Need to improve interaction with patient and their attendee

70% people prefer private hospitals and 30% prefer govt. 85% say that doctors are available when theyre required.

80% of the patients prefer medical treatment and 30% prefer surgical

treatment.

Almost 80% people said they came to know about the hospital withmeans of other patients

Analysis:

G e n e r a l l y o t h e r w h o h a s b e e n g o n e t h r o u g h t h e t r e a t m

e n t h a s better experience of the hospital for specific diseasesVery less

through advertising and the least through visual media

CONCLUSION

The objective is to examine the marketing strategies of the Medison

Hospital and finding the level of customer satisfaction and the

research work regarding the areas of hospital management

I have studded the

f u n c t i o n al i t y o f d i f f e r e n t d e p a r t me n t s a n d o n t h e

b a s i s o f m y experience at Medison Hospital. I have given somesuggestions that I feel would work for better managing the

departmental activities .Apart from this I have suggested

some marketing strategies that may increase the customers

awareness and their level of satisfaction. The suggestions are with

regard to the services that hospital offers to their customers and

are on the basis of research that is carried out to know the

level of customer satisfaction.The objective of the study is

achieved with in the given time frame


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a n d a p p r e c i a t e d b y m y p r o j e c t g u i d e a s w e l l

a s by th e t o p management.

project report medison

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