Identifier

etd-11012007-193518

Degree

Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (MALA)

Department

Liberal Arts

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

There's no doubt that the emergence of public report cards and governmental requirements for transparency in healthcare are forcing healthcare providers to work vigorously to improve quality and decrease costs. The results of these report cards and rankings are of interest to consumers - who wouldn't want to know whether or not the healthcare provider you're intrusting your life to is the best. The lengths to which consumers will go to proactively seek this information is another topic within itself; however, if the information is handed to them through strategic marketing and advertising efforts, could the marketing of quality rating information by individual providers be powerful enough to achieve the ultimate marketing objective: positively shift market share? A convenience study uses consumer research conducted by individual healthcare organizations across the U.S. to determine if the use of ratings or awards in marketing messages influences consumers' perceptions or preferences of the provider. The findings of this study indicate that advertising ratings or awards can positively impact both benchmarks, but more so perception than preference in terms of the organization overall. However, when considering specific service lines, data indicates marketing of ratings can have a more significant impact on both perception and preference equally. This study revealed the lack of measurement and dedication to ROI by the majority of healthcare marketers.

Date

2007

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Carole Jurkiewicz

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.4150

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