Should You Market Physician Practices When Access Is Limited? 6 Factors to Consider
// By David Marlowe //
In a recent SHSMD discussion board posting, one member raised the question: “Do you continue to market your specialists that are booked out for six weeks?” This posting highlights a challenge that has faced marketers in medical groups, hospitals, and health systems for many years — do we yield to pressure to market employed and affiliated medical groups when access is out of alignment with what consumers consider reasonable? Or as one of my clients expressed it some years back, “Why spend money just to get more people annoyed at us?”
In a new article, David Marlowe, principal, Strategic Marketing Concepts, and Strategic Health Care Marketing Editorial Advisory Board member, shares results from five recent nationwide studies he’s conducted of what consumers consider to be “reasonable” wait times for routine, non-urgent visits.
Will this type of information give marketers the hard evidence they need to stand up to provider groups that haven’t solved their access issues — and yet demand marketing support? Marlowe admits it can be a political minefield. If you do decide to institute a policy, he offers six factors to consider.