The Effects of the Hospital Marketing Promotion on
Consumers’ Choice of Hospitals Consumers
Chuan-Biau Chen, Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration,
Nanhua University, Taiwan
Pi-Lien Kao, Assistant System Coordinator, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian
Hospital, Taiwan
ABSTRACT
In recent years, competition among hospitals has become increasingly intense. The challenges
hospital managers have to face are also greater. As a result, there’s increased emphasis on both
traditional and relationship marketing in hospitals. Hospital managers have increasingly spent more time
thinking about how to build a good image, increase their competitive strengths, and attract consumers to
their hospital consumers. Using the population of Chiayi Taiwan as sample, this paper will discuss the
effects of hospital promotion on consumers’ hospital choices of hospitals consumers. This paper expects
to understand consumer preferences regarding consumers promotion methods which promotional
methods creates more loyalty among consumers, and thoughts on hospital marketing practices from
consumers from different backgrounds consumers. Based on the outcomes of the investigation, the
following three specific results were obtained :(1) The top six marketing-related ways influencing
consumers’ choice of hospitals are: free medical consultation, referral by friends and relatives, free clinic
treatments, the mailing of clinic schedules to potential customers, TV news exposure, and providing
education in public health and hygiene. (2). The top methods of promotion, yielding the highest consumer
loyalty are (in order of importance): high incidence of referral by friends and relatives; TV exposure; free
medical consultation; free clinic treatments; and providing education in public health and
hygiene.(3)Gender and age are factors that significantly influence consumer preferences related to
promotional activities.
Keywords: marketing promotion, relationship marketing, loyalty, the hospital choices.
INTRODUCTION
Hospital marketing has traditionally been neglected in the past because it was, by and large,
superfluous. Due to a shortage of doctors and medical supplies, hospitals have always been overcrowded,
with outpatient clinics impossible to book into, and a severe shortage of hospital beds. In recent years,
due to the increase in the number of hospitals, doctors and medical supplies, and ensuing vigorous
competition in the medical environment; rise in consciousness of the consumer concept; the increasingly
complicated doctor-patient relationship; and increasingly serious legal problems hospitals are facing;
hospitals have turned to marketing, promotion, and advertisement to ensure their survival. Currently, most
hospitals still mainly use their Public Relations department to communicate with consumers and conduct
marketing activities (Chang, 2000).
The hospital marketing is a service activity that drives hospitals’ medical services to the patient.
(Hsiao, 1998). Hospital marketing is beneficial to both hospitals and the public. For hospitals, it brings
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business and promotes a good image. For the public, it promotes health and well-being through free
health information, and reduces waste of medical resources through education on making correct choices
in medical treatments. Yet, many hospitals neglect marketing activities (Chien, 1994).
There are many kinds of hospital marketing promotion（i.e.HMP）, for example: free medical
consultation, referral by friends and relatives, free clinic treatments, mass mailings of clinic schedules to
potential customers, TV & newspaper exposure, and education in public health and hygiene. Which kind
of marketing promotion works best in bringing customers, building up good image, and improving
word-of-mouth, really depends on the type of consumer targeted, and is a subject of great concern for
hospital managers who want to improve their hospital’s competitiveness and profitability. However, few
scholarly studies are existed dealing with consumer preferences on marketing practices and which
practices work best. This paper seeks to be one such study by investigating the effectiveness of hospital
marketing practices based on the population in the area of Chiayi, Taiwan. In doing so, this paper would
provide valuable information for decision makers at hospitals throughout Taiwan.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In order to further understand the relationship between hospital marketing, and customer
satisfaction and loyalty, in this section we would like to review literature related to the connotation,
function and ordinance restriction, the relationship between the satisfaction and loyalty of the customer,
and the factors that influence consumers' choices.
Connotation, Function and Ordinance Restriction of Hospital Marketing
Hospital marketing is a way of promotion which provides high quality medical care to the
consumer or community while satisfying patient and families needs. The target market includes patients
and families, communities, doctors, medical personnel, hospital staff, and charitable donors(Chang,1991).
Hospital marketing has three functions (Chang, 1986). First, from the hospital’s point of view, through
analysis of the target market, hospitals can understand the future needs of consumers and establish good
management strategy. Second, from the consumer’s point of view, it provide readily available and vital
information to consumers so as to avoid ―doctor shopping‖ which may delay treatment, worse medical
condition, and increase medical expenditure. Third, from a social aspect, consumers get good yet
affordable medical services.Though hospital marketing can bring many benefit, for instance to save
medical resources and educate the consumers with the correct and healthy information(Chang, 2000；Lin,
2002), to promote hospital image, still some scholars have different opinions, they think that hospital
marketing may reduce the quality of the medical services and lead to competition between medical
organization which may cause unnecessarily medical services(Kotler & Clarke,1987).
The purpose of medicine is to service and not to make profit in Taiwan, thus, hospital marketing is
different from enterprise marketing generally, the content of the marketing always restrict by the medical
advertisement restriction by the Medical Treatment Law(article 59s to 62s) (Kuo, 1999; Taiwan city
health bureau,2010). From the above conclusion, the hospital marketing may inform the consumers with
the correct healthy concept and accurate consumers’ choices, and to promote the quality of medical care.
On the other hand, the market target may have two groups: exterior customer (patient, families and
community) and interior customer (hospital employees), thus, how to do hospital marketing and to
improve the satisfaction and efficiency of the customer, is the important issue of the hospital marketing.
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The Relationship between the Hospital Marketing and Satisfaction(or Loyalty) of the Customer
Kotler & Clarke(1987) stated that marketing can improve satisfaction of the target market.
According to Bendall and Powers(1995), communication outward strategy of the hospital can strengthen
the satisfaction of the customer or adjust the attitude of the customer toward the medical organizations;
this is an important factor which influences customer loyalty. Petromilli and Michalczyk(1999) on the
other hand stated that communication outward strategy of the hospital is the most important factor that
influence hospital image, and the purpose of marketing communication is to improve the cognition of the
customer toward the hospital, to differentiate between competitors and to inform the value of the service
in order to improve the preference and the consumers choices of the customer toward the hospital.
MacStravic(1987) stated that in order to educate the loyalty of the customer toward the hospital, there
should have information project, action project and communication project. Lin et al.(2001) had studied
about the opinions of the consumers towards the marketing activities, the research showed that five
leading activities that may promote the hospital image (volunteer medical activities, patient’s complaint
report line, announcement board, educational activities and seminars). On the other hand, according to the
opinion of the professional medical personnel in the hospital, newspaper, television and press conference
may improve the hospital popularity which rank six, seven and ten respectively. (Wu, 2002). Fisk et
al.(1990) think that marketing can create customer.
From the above discussion we may know that hospital marketing not only mold the hospital’s
image but also attract the potential customer towards hospital preferences, influence the consumers
choices and to strengthen consumers preferences and to improve the loyalty toward the hospital as well.
Generally speaking, the satisfaction of the customer is the index to measure the quality of the medical
services (Huang, 1997). Fisk(1990) thinks that when the satisfaction of the customer is high, the loyalty
towards the hospital is also high. Therefore, the satisfaction and the loyalty of the customer towards the
hospital are an important index for continuing development. Moreover, the expansion of the hospital
marketing(like advertisement, public relationship, public announcement, promotion, and direct mailing
etc.) always influences the satisfaction and loyalty of the consumers towards hospital. Good marketing
campaigns not only help to improve patient satisfaction and loyalty but also help to adjust the concept and
attitude of the consumers (MacStravic, 1987). Medical business is an especial profession which is usually
not influenced by the economic climate. No matter how rapid the transformation of the social
environment, the medical business still subsists(Hsieb, 1994). However, how to win the competition
through the hospital marketing is still an important concern of the administrator.
Factors that influence the hospital choices of consumers’
Although there are many relevant researches that studied the factors that influence the consumers’
choices, different scholars have different opinions(Lane & Lindquist,1988; Tseng,L. R., 1988; Handelsman,
1991; Rajshekhar et al., 1991; Tseng, Z. L., 1997; Shiu, 1998; Kuo, 2001). This paper summaries those facters
above scholars mentioned as follows: (1)the factors that may influence the consumer’s preferences
studied by each scholar may be concluded in five aspects: quality of medical services, accessibility,
medical expenses, facilities and marketing promotion. Where (a)quality of medical services: refers to
good medical care. (b)accessibility: refers to location of the hospital, convenience of transportation and
parking facilities. (c) medical expenses: total cost of the hospital stay. (d) facilities: good, up-to-date or
new medical equipment (e)marketing promotion: reputation of the hospital, word-of-mouth, efficient
communication and the recommendation of friends and colleagues.(2)2. all the scholars support the
hospital marketing influence the consumers’ choices.
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Hsiao(1998) stated that hospital management may start with product, price, promotion and place.
(1)Product – medical services can be divided into three types: curative(such as doctors’ curative or
medicinal treatments), diagnostic(such as laboratory analysis, radiology check up), and other medically
related services (such as home care, physical examination, health maintenance). (2) Price – patients are
seldom price sensitive when seeking medical treatment, thus a higher price does not impact revenues if
the service is differentiated and better. (3) Promotion – this includes (a) volunteer medical activities to
foster a good image of the hospital. (b) publication of hospital newsletters, announcement of hospital
activities, introduction of medical updates, all of which increase the understanding of the consumers
towards hospital. (c) holding press conferences periodically or medical column on the newspaper, may
improve the health knowledge of the consumers, and (d) the superintendent and the chaplain of the church
hospital may preach at the church nearby, to strengthen the relationship with the nearby churches . (4)
Place – this refers to meeting the needs of the local community.
The medical organization restricted by the medical treatment law and the uniqueness of the medical
business, public relationship always regards as the main marketing promotion, assisted by the
advertisement, like volunteer medical treatment, hospital news publication, press conference, community
health education, publication of academic journal, using hospital announcement board or homepage and
report of characteristics and development hospital through mass media etc.(Chang,1986;
Chang,1991;Chen,1992; Hsiao,1998). Public relationship has becoming the main force of the hospital
marketing in medium-large size hospital in recent years (Chien, 1994). Especially patient’s complaint,
management of the legal problem and carrying out activities are the activities that hold by public
relationship which are concerned by the consumers( Lin et al., 2001). Mmedical information provides by
the hospital marketing always influence the consumers choices. Under the abundant supply of the medical
resources, where there are lots of different sizes of hospital, the important factor that keep the patient if
they maintain good and long –lasting relationship, therefore, relationship marketing is also a factor to
influence consumers choices.The main spirit of relationship marketing is to develop a long and
continuous relationship via a series of related product and services(Dwyer, Schurr & Oh, 1987;
Frankwick, Porter & Crosby, 2001). It’s not only a strategy(Gummesson,1987；Berry,1983), to integrate
the general advertisement, promotion, public relationship and direct marketing factors, to create more
efficient way to approach the consumer (Copulsky & Wolf, 1990), but also is the key point to maintain
and enhance the relationship between the enterprise and the customer(Calonius,1988).When the
relationship between the promoter and the consumer is in better condition, consumer will have a higher
intention to remain, and be more willing to refer friends and relatives(Boles, Barksdale & Johnson,1997).
In other words, when the promoter maintains a good relationship with the consumer, then the consumer
will express high loyalty and positive public praise. Beatty et al.(1996) also supported this point；
Moderate relationship marketing not only establish good relationship but also improve the loyalty of the
customer(Kaj, Tore & Christian, 1994; Foster & Cadogan, 2000). In order to cultivate the customer
loyalty, the hospital should have information project, action project and communication project, among
them, the communication project is the multi-form marketing which use by the hospital to attract patient
and to enhance the loyalty of the customer (Foster & Cadogan, 2000). And the higher the commitment
and the trust of the relation can reduce the customer propensity to leave(Morgan & Hunt;1994), the trust
and promise have positive relation with customer intention to remain(Wetzels, Ruyter & Birgelen,1998).
From the above discussion we can know: quality of medical services, accessibility of the medical,
medical expenses, facilities and marketing promotion and relation marketing are the important factors that
influence consumers’ choices. Marketing promotion and relationship marketing not only can improve the
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159
cognition of the medical services, satisfaction and trust, but also improve the customer loyalty towards the
hospital. Therefore, if the hospital wants to improve the competition ability, it must try hard towards the
factors that may influence the consumers’ choices. Hospital marketing promotion is an important bridge
that helps the hospital to communicate outward. Especially in this kind of vigorous competitive
environment, it cannot be ignored.
There are many kinds of hospital marketing promotion. For example, mail clinic hours and
schedules to potential customers, free medical consultation, provide free transportation, provide education
in public health and hygiene, offer free clinic treatments. The above five methods of promotions are very
important relationship marketing method to promote and maintain the long term relationship between the
hospital and the customer. Therefore, how to apply the method of hospital marketing promotion to attract
the new customer and to retain the old customer, to promote satisfaction and loyalty of the customer, and
to improve the hospital competition ability is the important agenda that concerned by the administrator
currently but relevant research is very few. Therefore, based on MacStravic(1987),Bendall and
Powers(1995) point of views, this research study the hospital marketing method which generally used by
the hospitals in Taiwan, and the sample will be the consumers of the Chiayi, Taiwan. Questionnaire will
fill out, analyzed, and expects to acquire the preferences of consumers toward the promotion methods, the
promotional methods which can increase more effects on their loyalty of hospitals and the perspectives of
promotional factors from consumers of different backgrounds.
METHODS
Marketing promotion and relation marketing are very important methods for hospitals to improve
their competition ability. It is not only can build up hospital image, increase the realization and
understanding of consumers about the medical service, improve the customer satisfactions and loyalty,
but also can create new customers and get more profits. However there are many ways of hospitals
marketing and different preference of consumers, which ways will be more influence to consumers.
Whether or not the above ways will influence the hospital choice of consumers or increase their
satisfaction or loyalty. And are there the view point of different background consumers about the hospital
marketing have statically significant etc. Those problems need to be further discussion. This paper
considers 15 ways or skills of marketing promotion of hospitals popular used in Taiwan as hospital
marketing promotion variables which shown in Table 1 and defines the people living in Chiayi Taiwan
(18 shiangs and 1 city included) as population of the investigation.
Table 1: The ways or skills of HMP popular used in Taiwan
(1) Referral by friends and relatives
(2) Hospital news on TV.
(3) Hospital news on the radio
(4) Hospital news in newspapers
(5) Hospital news in magazines
(6) Hospital news presented in DVD or VHS
format.
(7).Medical briefs or medical journals
(8) Offer free clinic treatments
(9) Provide education in public health and hygiene
(10) Post medical news on bus, train or billboards
(11)Promotional pamphlets
(12) Website promotion
(13) Provide free transportation
(14) Free medical consultation
(15) Mail clinic hours and schedules to potential customers
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The survey samples are selected which the first depending on the region layering, and then depend
on the convenient sampling method. The 50 samples were selected per shiang in Chiayi county, and 350
samples were selected in Chiayi city, total 1250 samples were selected to examination. This research take
1250 pieces of questionnaire survey and the recovering is 1106 pieces and the effectively recovering is
1073 pieces. This study adopts Likert Type Five Meter Scale to measure the preferences of Consumers
to 15 kinds of marketing promotion. To simplify the problem (15 variables of hospital marketing
promotion) and indicated with the representative factor, this paper takes the factor analysis, the principal
component analysis and rotation with Varimax method. And then chooses the Eigen value grater than 1,
three common factors (Factor I, Factor II, Factor III) were extracted. The variance explained by each
factor are Factor I 25.9%, Factor II 20.3%, Factor III 19.1%，and the accumulate Variance explained by
three factors is 65.3%. Each factor related information about variables of hospital marketing promotion,
factor loading, Eigenvalue, variance explained, and the accumulate Variance explained by three factors,
and Cronbach's α were shown as in Table 2. The three common factors were named as plain media
(Factor I), Electronic media (Factor II) and medical consultation and promotional activities (Factor III).
And that related contents were shown as Table 2. According to the purposes of this paper, two hypotheses
were repented to testify.
H1: The preference of different background consumers toward the way of free medical consultation (or
referral by friends and relatives, or offer free clinic treatments, or mail clinic hours and schedules to
potential customers) no significant difference.
H2: The preference of different background consumers toward plain media (or electronic media or
medical consultation and promotional activities) no significant difference.
Table 2: The summary the results of factor analysis in marketing promotion variables
Factor
Item No. and Content
(11) Promotional pamphlets
( 4 ) Hospital news in newspapers.
(10) Post medical news on bus, train or billboards
Plain media
( 7 ) Medical briefs or medical journals
( 9 ) Provide education in public health and hygiene
( 5 ) Hospital news in magazines
( 3 ) Hospital news on the radio
Electronic
( 2 ) Hospital news on TV.
s media
(12) Website promotion
( 6 ) Hospital news presented in DVD or VHS format
medical
(15) Mail clinic hours and schedules to potential customers
consultation
(14) Free medical consultation
and
(13) Provide free transportation
promotional
( 8 ) Offer free clinic treatments
activities
( 1 ) Referral by friends and relatives
Variance explained
Accumulated Variance explained
Cronbach's α
Factor I
0.81
0.76
0.71
0.69
0.59
0.58
Factor loading
Factor II
Factor III
0.82
0.81
0.72
0.68
0.79
0.77
0.77
25.87
25.87
0.86
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20.31
46.19
0.74
0.58
0.57
19.08
65.27
0.81
161
EFFECTS OF HMP ON CONSUMER HOSPITAL CHOICES ACTUAL EVIDENCES IN TAIWAN
For understanding the effects of HMP on consumers’ hospital choices in Taiwan, based on 1073
effective questionnaires further analyzed with statistics software, this paper got some concrete results.
The key ways or skills of HMP that influence hospital choices of consumers’, the effects of HMP on
Consumers’ loyalty, the preference difference of consumers’ toward the key ways of HMP and toward
HMP factors will be further illustrated as follows:
The key ways of HMP that influence hospital choices of consumers’
For understanding 15 kinds of ways of HMP popularly used in Taiwan which is more effective
toward consumers, therefore, this paper depended on the rank order (low to high) of the consumers’
preference toward means of HMP to choose the first to sixth as the key ways of HMP. The key ways of
HMP are:(1) free medical consultation(2) referral by friends and relatives, (3)offer free clinic treatments,
mail clinic hours and schedules to potential customers,(4)TV exposure, providing education in public
health and hygiene,(5) provide free transportation,(6) and Hospital news in newspapers. The free medical
consultation, free clinic treatments, mailing of clinic schedules to potential customers, providing free
transportation are very important skills of relation marketing.
Although the electronics media (VCRs, stereo & computer) are widespread in Taiwan, the
interviewed consumers who live in Chiayi Taiwan, seem to prefer free medical consultation, free
clinic,mailing of clinic schedule & referrals by friends and relatives over news of the hospital presented
via the plain & electronic media (e.g. TV or radio, DVD & VHS, newspapers, medical journals,
magazines & promotional pamphlets.). Therefore if hospital’s managers want to keep the customers and
develop new customers or inspire potential customers, they need to understand which way of HMP is
customers’ favorite and consider the key ways of HMP the above mentioned before they do decision
making.
Effects of ways of HMP on consumer’ loyalty
For understanding 15 kinds of ways of HMP popularly used in Taiwan which is more effective
toward consumers’ loyalty, therefore, this paper depends on 1073s interviewees’ opinion about the 15
kinds of ways of HMP（who can choose many of ways of HMP）and does percentage analysis ,the results
is show that (1) all the 15 kinds of the ways of HMP can increase the consumer’s loyalty. (2) the more
effective ways of HMP toward the consumer’ loyalty are referral by friends and relatives, hospital news
on TV, free medical consultation, offer free clinic treatments, issue medical briefs or medical journals,
provide education in public health and hygiene, hospital news in newspapers, but the ways of website
promotion and promotional pamphlets are less effective toward the consumer’s loyalty.
For comparing the variation of different background interviewees about the more effective ways of
HMP above mentioned can increase the consumer’ loyalty., this paper does the cross analysis which
depend on the background variables (sex, age, marriage, occupation, level of education) with HMP
variables (referral by friends and relatives, hospital news on TV, free medical consultation, offer free
clinic treatments, issue medical briefs or medical journals, provide education in public health and
hygiene),and obtains the 5 results as follows:(1)Women favors Hospital news on TV the most, compared
to men.(2)Consumers age 51 to 60 prefer Issue medical briefs or medical journals.(3)Married consumers
accept the more effective HMP ways above mentioned is higher than unmarried or single
consumers.(4)Consumers with at least a college education are more favorable to the more effective ways
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of HMP above mentioned than consumers with a lower education.(5)Consumers with an Industry or
Business Services occupation favor referrals by friends and relatives the most. Students favor hospital
news on TV, free medical consultation, and provide education in public health and hygiene the most.
From the analysis above mentioned, we can know: (1) the interviewee think that the effect of the
ways of HMP on the consumer’ loyalty may be different according to the individual background. (2) If
the hospital managers want to increase the consumer’ loyalty, they need to understand the difference
about the different customers’ favor for the ways of marketing promotion before they make the decision
of the marketing promotion.
The preference difference of the Consumers’ toward the key ways of HMP
In order to understand the different background (sex, age, marriage, occupation, level of education
and average month incomes) the consumer toward the key ways of HMP whether the preference
difference has significance existence. This paper considers the background variables (sex, age, marriage,
occupation, education level and average month incomes) and the degree of preference to make the partial
combination. After partial combination, the results of the variable mentioned above are as follows:(1) the
age level was divided into under 30 years old, 31-50 years old, up 51 years old, (2) the marriage level was
divided into unmarried and married, (3)the level of average monthly income was divided into under
NT$30,000, NT$30,001-50,000, up NT$50,000. In the degree of preference was divided into
favorite(Combine ―the most favorite‖ with ―favorite‖ into ―favorite‖) and less favorite( Combine ―the
least favorite‖ with ―less favorite‖ into ―less favorite‖).
And then this paper chooses 4 key ways of HMP( free medical consultation , referral by friends and
relatives , offer free clinic treatments , mail clinic hours and schedules to potential customers) to takes
further analysis by chi-square(  2 ) test and defines the significance level is as the α= 0.05. This paper
summary the results as shown in Table 3.
The following will illustrated the preference difference of the different background consumers
toward the key ways of HMP. (1) The preference difference of the consumers on the way of free medical
consultation：There are no significance difference existed in different sex, or marriage, or average month
income of consumers . But in the different age or education level of consumers, there are have
significance difference existed, and the age (or education level) is higher the degree of preference is
higher too.(2) The preference difference of the consumers on the way of referral by friends and relatives:
In the different sex, or age, or marriage ,or average month incomes of consumer, there are have
significance difference existed, where (a) male’s preference degree is higher than female’s, (b.) under 30
years old consumers’ preference degree is lower than the other years old consumer’s, (c.) married
consumers’ preference degree is higher than unmarried consumers’, (d.) the average month income during
NT$30,000 – NT50,000 of consumers whose preference degree is higher than the other income of
consumers’. (3) The preference difference of the consumers on the way of offer free clinic treatments: In
the different sex, or age, or marriage of consumers, there are have significance difference existed, where
(a) male’s preference degree is higher than female’s, (b.) under 30 years old consumers’ preference degree
is lower than the other years old consumer’s. (c.) Married consumers’ preference degree is higher than
unmarried consumers’.(4)The preference difference of the consumers on the way of mail clinic hours and
schedules to potential customers: In the different sex of consumer, there are have significance difference
existed, and male’s preference degree is higher than female’s.
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Table 3: The summary of the preference difference analysis on the key ways of HMP
Key ways of HMP
Free medical consultation
Referral by friends and relatives
Offer free clinic treatments
Mail clinic hours and schedules to potential customers
sex
0.005**
0.009**
0.010**
Note : * is PV <0.05 significance, ** is PV<0.01 very significance,
Background Variables
marital
education
status
level
0.008**
0.006**
0.003**
0.031*
0.006**
0.023*
age
average
income
0.27*
*** is PV<0.001 extreme significance
Preference difference of the consumers’ toward the factors of HMP
This paper uses factor analysis to simplify the quantity of variables, and get three common factors
(plain media, electronic media, medical consultation and promotional activities). And second, by the T
test, one-way ANOVA to test the preference of different background (sex, age, marriage, occupation, level
of education and average month incomes) consumers to the factors of HMP( plain media, electronic
media, medical consultation and promotional activities ) whether it has the existence of significance
difference, and we have got some the concrete results as follows: (1) The preference difference of
different sex’s consumer toward the factors of HMP:There are significant difference existence in all
factors above mentioned, and the average preference of male’s is higher than female’s. (2) The preference
difference of different age’s consumer toward the factors of HMP: There are significance difference
existence in the factors of plain media, electronic media, medical consultation and promotional activities.
The further analysis, in the plain media and electronic media, the average preference degree of the age
during 31-40’s is high than the other age’s, but in the medical consultation and promotional activities, the
average preference degree of the age during the age 51-60’s is higher than the other age’s. (3) The
preference difference of different marital status’s consumer toward the factors of HMP: In the medical
consultation and promotional activities, there has significance difference existed, and the average
preference degree of Married consumer’s is higher than unmarried or single. (4) The preference difference
of different occupation’s consumer toward the factors of HMP: The preference difference on the factors of
plain media, or medical consultation and promotional activities, there are significance difference existed.
The further analysis, in plain media, the average preference degree of Army and government’s consumer
is higher than the other occupation’s. (5) The preference difference of different educational level’s
consumer toward the factors of HMP: In the electronic media or plain media, there is a significance
difference existed. The further analysis, in electronic media, the average preference degree of the
educational level under the junior high school consumer is lower than the other educational level’s. But in
the electronic media or plain media, the average preference degree of consumer of senior high school’s
level is higher than the other educational level’s. (6) The preference difference of different average month
income’s consumer toward the factors of HMP: In the plain media and electronic media there are
significance difference existed. The consumer which average month income is NT$50,001-70,000 to the
plain media, their average preference degree is higher than the other incomes’. And the average month
income is up NT$100,000 to the electronic media, their average preference degree is higher than the other
incomes’.
For easy analysis and compare the results of preference difference analysis above mentioned, this
paper summary the results as shown in Table 4. From Table 4 we can know:(1) According to the
difference of individual backgrounds’ the preference of the consumers’ toward the factors of HMP may be
different, and the effect of the ways of HMP on the consumer’ loyalty may be different accordingly.(2) If
the hospital managers want to mold the image of this hospital, or create new customer, keep customer, or
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increase the consumer’ satisfaction or loyalty , or improve customer to realize the hospital, it will be
better to consider the consumer characteristics and the factors of HMP whose needed, before determining
to adopt the plain media or electronic media or medical consultation and promotional activities.
Table 4: The summary of the preference difference analysis on the factors of HMP
Factors of HMP
(1) plain media
(2) Electronic media
(3) Medical consultation
and promotional
activities
sex
age
0.004**
0.000***
0.000***
0.004**
Background Variables
marital
education
Occupation
status
level
0.010**
0.000***
0.002**
0.036*
0.003**
0.013*
average month
income
0.005**
0.013*
0.024*
Note : * is PV <0.05 significance, ** is PV<0.01 very significance, *** is PV<0.001 extreme significance
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION
Recently there are some problem including the changing of medical background, the establishing of
small and large hospitals, the intense competition, the increasing of the hospital choices of consumers’
and the hospital’s manager make highlight in the marketing promotion and relationship. Especially
regarding the consumer’s preference degree of the ways(or factors) of HMP, increasing the effects of
consumer’ loyalty about the ways of HMP and the different background of consumer to the factors of the
HMP, those mentioned are very important problem for the hospital’s management and these problems are
the main content in this paper. Therefore, based on the 15 kinds of the ways of the HMP that adopted very
often by hospital in Taiwan, and defined the consumer live in Chayi Taiwan as the population, through the
questionnaire and collecting the related information, and then we got the concrete achievement by the
analysis of actual evidence.
There are 5 items of main research’s achievement in this paper(1) fFrom the discussion the related
literatures of hospital marketing promotion; customer satisfaction and loyalty; hospital choices of
consumers’ and relationship marketing, it can be learned that if the hospitals’ managers want to mold a
good image of business enterprise; enhance customers to know and understand the medical services;
increase the customers’ satisfaction and loyalty; Create the new customers and keep the old customers,
they need to strengthen the marketing promotion and relationship marketing. (2)In the15 kinds of the
ways of hospital marketing promotion, the key ways of HMP that effect the hospital choices of consumers’
are free medical consultation, referral by friends and relatives, offer free clinic treatments, mail clinic
hours and schedules to potential customers, Hospital news on TV, provide education in public health and
hygiene, provide free transportation, and Hospital news in newspapers. (3)The former five more effective
ways of HMP toward the consumer’ loyalty are referral by friends and relatives, hospital news on TV, free
medical consultation, offer free clinic treatments, issue medical briefs or medical journals and provide
education in public health and hygiene.From the more effective ways of HMP toward the consumer’
loyalty can learn about: the ways of related news of the hospital broadcast by TV and relation marketing
are the more preferred for the consumers’ live in Chiayi Taiwan, this phenomenon is match the point of
view bring up by the scholars MacStravic Wetzels; Ruyter & Birgelen; Frankwick, Porter & Crosby.
(4)The interviewees thought that the15 kinds of ways of HMP popular used in Taiwan can increase the
consumer’s loyalty.. And(a) in TV stations, male identification's ratio is higher than females’, (b) in
medical briefs and medical journals, age is at 51-60 years old person identification ratio less than the
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other age’s. (5)The preference deference of different background consumers’ toward the factors of
hospital marketing promotion (plain media, electronic media, medical consultation and promotional
activities) have significance difference existed. the preference of the consumers’ toward the factors of
HMP may be different, according to the difference of individual backgrounds and the effect of the ways
of HMP on the consumer’ loyalty may be different accordingly.
According to the findings above mentioned, this paper brings up three suggestions for further research
or hospital manager make policy refer as follows:(1) Set up free medical consultation window, regular offer
free clinic treatments, provide education in public health and hygiene, will enhance hospital with the
consumers make directly communicate chance. (2) Strengthen customer administration and Mail clinic
hours and schedules to potential customers, provide free transportation, will increase customer's dependence
and belief to hospital. (3) Strengthen hospital cure homepage information, net registration and inquiry
function, as enhance the consumers and supply medical services acquaintance and know to hospital.
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