Marketing of Services In Hospitals

The present report identifies the key issues that are related to the marketing of failed services in hospitals. The service in the report is considered as Personality disorder services which were being provided by the organization earlier and it was unsuccessful in providing these services efficiently. The report will explain the marketing mix for relaunching the services in the hospital industry. The report also covers the product and market analysis for the mentioned service by considering the UK market trends and growth. In addition, recommendations are provided at the end of the report that can help the organization in relaunching its services (Huang, 2009).

BACKGROUND

In the present report, the re-launch of PD services will be done. The Cassel Hospital which is a renowned UK hospital is relaunching its services for people with Personality disorder and complex needs (The Cassel Hospital is relaunching its PD services, 2011). As people suffer from various personality disorders such as emotional instability, alcohol, and mood disorders, the services provided will respond to the needs of the clients and customers who face these difficulties. These services are being relaunched as previously the hospital lacked experienced Psychiatrists and did not have a separate department for these services. These two were the major reasons that led to the failure of PD services (Review of the Provider Mental Health Services, 2011).

The hospital has now realized the need for expanding the services and relaunched PD services by transferring the department to its modern upgraded building with new technological equipment and tools. In addition, the PD services are being relaunched in the hospital because it was found that the people in the country were facing with wide range of serious issues (Polley and Shanklin, 1993).

PRODUCT ANALYSIS

The Personality Disorder services that are being relaunched by the hospital will provide assessment, treatment, and care for individuals who are aged above 16. The hospital will be providing various therapies such as Dialectical Behavior therapy and Schema. Specialist treatments will be offered for persons suffering from personality disorder issues. In addition, modified treatments will also be provided according to the needs of clients (Snook, 2003). Cognitive analytic therapy services (CAT) will be provided to people who do not require intensive treatment. This therapy will help the individuals to how relationships in their lives have affected their behavior and personality. The fee will be charged in terms of hours which will be reasonable for the client. In other words, the counselor or Psychiatrist will charge the fees per hour. The prices decided for the service are £20 per hour. The additional benefit is provided to clients or customers that they will not be required to pay any fees if they are visiting again in the next two weeks. Moreover, customized services will also be provided. In case a client is not able to come to the hospital, then the psychiatrist will provide help by visiting the client's home place.

The target market for these services is people above the age of 16. Mostly individuals above the age of 16 face personality disorder problems. Career problems, personal issues, etc. all may lead to problems that affect their mental health and thus these services will generate high revenues for the hospital by targeting the 16+ population. Various other hospitals are providing these services but the customized and personalized disorder services that are being offered by the Cassel Hospital are more efficient and effective (Schulz and Johnson, 2003).

CUSTOMER ANALYSIS

The target customers for availing the personality disorder services considered are people above the age of 16. The demographic profile has been chosen in this context. In addition, age groups are divided on the basis of their psychological profiles. The groups are divided within the age group such as 16-23, 23-35, 35-50, and above 50. The current target customers are decided on the basis of age groups and within each group customers are defined psychologically. For instance, people within the age group 16-23 face problems relating to careers, personal relationships, etc. The factors that can lead to their mental disturbance are different from other age groups. Individuals within the age group 23-35 are more conscious about their future, stability in income, etc. (Brown, 1992).
 
The customers are segmented on the basis of their behavior within each age group. Different treatments will be provided to people according to their age groups. The customers or clients can anytime take the therapy sessions. The number of customers availing these services is increasing as mental and psychological problems are also increasing and people nowadays are suffering from mental pressure due to career problems, personal problems, etc. and these problems in turn affect their behavior and personality (Winston, 1984).

MARKET ANALYSIS

The UK market for personality disorder services is increasing day by day. People are facing serious problems in their lives and it is increasing pressure that in turn leads to depression (Winston, 2012). With the growing personality problems, the market for these services is also increasing. In addition, the market is becoming more competitive as hospitals are now focusing on providing efficient services which will increase their market share within the industry. The market share of personality disorder services has shown an increasing trend in the UK market.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

The main competitors of The Cassel Hospital in providing personality disorder services are Maudsley Hospital and Halliwick Personality Disorder services. Both these organizations are providing efficient personality and mental health services to their customers and clients. Halliwick Personality Disorder service provider has an efficient team of psychiatrists and it offers individualized follow-up programs for the patients. Maudsley Hospital provides specialist services related to mental health in the UK. In addition, it provides various therapeutic activities that include drama, cooking, art, and gardening. It provides 16 weekly sessions and focuses on the problem that is required to be cured. The services provided by both these organizations are very efficient and Cassel Hospital is required to provide personality disorder services in a better manner so that it can gain a competitive edge over its competitors Hillestad and Berkowitz, 1991).

PESTLE ANALYSIS

• Political Environment: The political environment of a country affects both the hospitals and the services being provided by it. The political environment may influence the service provider changes in the policies of government related to mental health, or it may also happen that the subsidies being provided by the government are reduced which in turn will affect the efficiency of service being provided.
• Economic environment: The economic environment is related to the economic position of the country such as boom, recession, etc. If the economic position of a country is excellent then hospitals can obtain various loans easily and this in turn will help the clients get better treatment (PESTEL Analysis- Snapshot of Your World, 2011).
• Social and Cultural environment: A customer is highly influenced by the social and cultural environment and so is the organization or hospital. The hospital is required to provide the services according to the culture with which it is associated. The therapies and treatments it is providing to the clients should be provided hygienically. In addition, the hospitals providing personality disorder services are situated in a places with greenery which provides peace to the clients.
• Technological environment: As technology is changing very rapidly and new and innovative technologies are coming into the market, it is required by the hospital to relaunch its personality disorder services by installing new equipment and tools. In addition, increased technological facilities have made it possible to mobilize medical services that will positively influence the service provider (PEST & PESTEL Analysis, 2012).
• Environmental Environment: The service being provided should not harmfully impact the environment.
• Legal Environment: The legal environment is related to the rules, regulations, and legislation being imposed by the government. In order to provide personality disorder services, various legal formalities are required to be followed by the hospital and all the legal procedures involved in developing these services should be complied with. The changes in legal policies will influence the hospital and the service being provided.

OBJECTIVES

Marketing objectives
The marketing objectives for relaunching the personality disorder services in the UK market again are to provide efficient treatments and services to the clients. The Cassel Hospital will relaunch the product with efficient types of equipment and tools and thus it will also provide huge revenues to the organization. The main aim of relaunching these services again in the market is to increase their market share by providing personalized and customized services. In addition, it was identified that there is a rapid increase in patients having personality disorders by relaunching the services in an efficient manner and by appointing specialist psychiatrists (Kapoor, 2000).

MARKETING STRATEGY

Target market

The target market for the service is the people above the age of 16. Students nowadays are suffering from various issues and problems which cause mental pressure on them. Market segmentation is done on the basis of demographic segmentation under which behavior patterns of different age groups are considered to provide effective and right treatment (Smith, 1981). The attitude and behavior of an individual of 22 years of age will be different from an individual of 35 years of age. And so the treatment offered to them will be different. Moreover, the behavioral segmentation within the age group will help in identifying the specific problems being faced by the individuals that lead to mental disturbance and pressure (Shanker, 2002).

The relaunch of the personality disorder services by the Cassel Hospital will provide services in a more efficient and excellent manner than those provided by others in the same field. For most firms, re-launching failed products requires understanding the ways in which the failed product has met the value needs of different customers and the quality of execution, the experience gained from a failed launch can be helpful in the second launch (Goel and Kumar, 2004). And the reasons that led to the failure of the services are being analyzed and now the product is being launched. The Unique selling proposition of the service can be considered the customized and personalized services being provided by the company (O'Connor and Prasad, 2000). The treatments and therapies will involve discussion with the client and then only the treatment will be provided to him according to his needs (Lanabeer and Napiewocki, 2000).

MARKETING MIX

Product

The product in this context is relaunching the personality disorder service in the market again. As services are intangible products only after availing of a service it can be known whether it is efficiently provided or not. The Cassel Hospital is relaunching the personality disorder services again in an efficient manner. In order to launch the service in an efficient manner, new tools and pieces of equipment are being utilized by the hospital. In addition, the service will be efficiently provided after considering the problems of patients (Burns and et.al., 2009).

Price

The price in the service industry is considered as the fee charged for the service being provided. The price for the personality services being provided will be charged fairly. The fee will be charged in terms of hours. In other words, the psychiatrist will counsel the clients according to the problems they are facing. The per-hour fee that will be charged is £20 per hour. Moreover, the hospital will also provide additional services like it will provide counseling to the clients for free if they are visiting in the next two weeks of their first visit. The fee charged is kept low as compared to the competitors so that the service can be efficiently established in the market (Bhaskar and et.al., 2012).

Place

The place is referred to as the place from where the product or service will be obtained. In the context of personality disorder services, the hospital is the place from where the clients can avail the services. The Cassel Hospital is the place from where the client can avail the personality disorder services such as Therapies, counseling, etc.( Chen  and Kao, 2011).

Promotion

Promotion refers to the tools and techniques employed by the organization in order to promote the product and service in the market. In order to market the service, the hospital will use print media such as community newspapers and magazines to make the clients and customers aware of the mental health issues. In addition, the internet also plays a vital role in promoting the service. The online website of the hospital will contain all the necessary and valid information about the service. Drug companies and insurers these days establish websites for patients to visit.

People

People in the service industry play a major role. The people providing the personality disorder services are the psychiatrists, therapists, staff members, etc. As they will provide services to the clients, they should be well-trained and should be experienced. The service is being relaunched and it is required on the part of the hospital to employ staff members who are dedicated and efficient. The reason behind the failure of the service was the lack of experienced staff and so it becomes essential to hire well trained and efficient staff.

Physical evidence

As services are intangible in nature, the service providers try to incorporate certain tangible elements into them in order to enhance the experience of customers and satisfy them. The ambiance, physical environment, etc. of the hospital will be such that will provide peace of mind to the clients. The hygiene factors are also given much importance so that the customers can feel satisfied.

Process

The process of obtaining the service is considered very crucial and hard. The process of providing the services will be simpler. The process includes formalities like filling out the form, paying the fee, etc. It is considered very time-consuming. The clients will be helped by the staff members in completing the process of obtaining the treatments. The service staff will constantly help the employees complete the process (Sreenivas, Srinivasarao, and Srinivasa, 2013).

RECOMMENDATIONS

• In order to properly market the service it is recommended that:
• The organization should continuously monitor the changes in the industry and should utilize innovative and new technology.
• Infrastructure should be given utmost importance.
• The department provides treatments and therapies to patients having personality disorders and should be well-built in a peaceful area.

CONCLUSION

By studying this report it can be identified that marketing of services has become an important factor considered for the success of the service. In order to relaunch the service, proper marketing and promotion activities are required to be conducted which will help in attaining the marketing objectives and in turn will increase the revenue of the organization. In the present report, the relaunching of personality disorder services by Cassel Hospital is being considered and the marketing strategy for the launching of these services is being prepared. The market and competitor analysis of the service is also done in order to understand the trends within the service industry. The marketing mix for the service is also done and product, price, place, promotion, people, physical evidence, and process are also discussed in detail to understand the marketing of relaunching the services properly.

REFERENCES

Journal and Books

• Bedi, S., and et.al., 2004. Patient Expectations Survey-A relevant marketing tool for hospitals. Journal of the Academy of hospitals. 16(1).
• Bhaskar, L.N., and et.al., 2012. Relationship Marketing' A Lucrative Hospital Marketing Strategy. Journal of Business and Management. 3(6). pp.46-48.
• Brown, M., 1992. Health Care Marketing Management. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Burns, L.R., and et.al., 2009. The impact of hospital ownership conversions: Review of the literature and results from a comparative field study. Advances in Health Care Management. 8. pp.171-229.
• Chen, B. C. and Kao, L.P., 2011. The effects of the hospital marketing promotion on consumer's choice of hospitals consumers. The Journal of Human Resource and Adult Learning. 7(2).

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