Health Services Advertising
Your M1 Practitioner Application will require devoted inquiry, assimilation, reflection, and refinement in order to achieve the highest possible score. Specifically, you are to take the scenario listed below, address it in full, and submit your work in accordance with the instructions contained herein.
The Challenge
Your text readings specifically profile the rise of marketing in the healthcare industry and they also enlighten you regarding that which marketing entails. But for this particular Practitioner Application, I want you to focus specifically on the concept of advertising, which is part of the promotion component of the broader discipline of marketing. The use of advertising to promote health services remains problematic for some, others have no issues with it, and still others are somewhere between these two extremes. I’d like for you to research the pros and cons associated with health services advertising and report your findings. Then, communicate where you stand on the issue and justify your position.
The Submission Requirement
Your submission in its entirety must be between 1500-1800 words. It is to be typed (or pasted) directly into the Moodle posting window, after which you will submit your work. Attachments of any kind are prohibited and will carry no points value. Given the length of the submission, it is advised that students prepare it in a word processing program, and when finalized, copy and paste the text into the Moodle posting window. Moodle can be very finicky and often will distort formatting, so care must be taken in preparing your submission. If problems persist, consider using Windows Notepad, as it is very effective for transferring distortion-free text into the Moodle posting window, after which you can add formatting directly in Moodle.
Your submission must be supported by 4 (minimum) to 10 (maximum) references, with at least 3 being from scholarly academic journals. (If you cannot ascertain whether a journal does or does not qualify as scholarly academic, contact the Noel Library and request assistance.) References may be prepared using the style guide of your choice (e.g., APA, MLA); just be sure to consistently use the selected style.
In presenting your work, identify the title, your name and student ID number, and submission date at the top of your submission and supply the following sections, exactly as they appear below, placing each heading in bold text:
- Introduction
- Health Services Advertising “Pros”
- Health Services Advertising “Cons”
- My Position on Health Services Advertising
- Conclusions
- References
Assessment Criteria
Your submission will be assessed based on the following:
- Compliance quality: The degree to which your submission complies with noted guidelines, including word count and reference specifications,
- Communication quality: The degree to which your work meets standards expected in business communications, including matters concerning the use of proper grammar and punctuation, and
- Content quality: The quality of the content presented in your work.
readings
- Thomas RK. Marketing Health Services, 2nd ed. Chicago: Health Administration Press, 2010. Reading assignment: Part I, Chapters 1-4. (Available via the eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) database at LSU Shreveport’s Noel Memorial Library)
- Borden NH. The Concept of the Marketing Mix. Journal of Advertising Research. 1984;24(Suppl 4):7-12. (Available via the Business Source Complete database at LSU Shreveport’s Noel Memorial Library)
- McKenna R. Marketing Is Everything. (cover story). Harvard Business Review. 1991;69(1):65-79. (Available via the Business Source Complete database at LSU Shreveport’s Noel Memorial Library)
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Health services advertising is a controversial topic in the healthcare industry. While some advocate for it, others oppose it. In this Practitioner Application, students are expected to research and critically analyze the pros and cons of health services advertising and present their position on the matter. In this response, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of health services advertising and conclude with our position.
Health Services Advertising “Pros”:
The benefits of health services advertising include increased brand awareness, a larger patient base, and improved revenue. A strong advertising campaign can result in an increased number of patients, leading to higher profits. Advertising can also be used to promote health-related messages, encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles, and improve health literacy. This can lead to positive health outcomes and increased patient satisfaction.
Health Services Advertising “Cons”:
Critics argue that health services advertising can be misleading and contribute to an overemphasis on profit-making in the healthcare industry. Studies have shown that in some cases, advertising misrepresents healthcare services and medication, leading to patients undergoing unnecessary treatments. Advertising can also create unrealistic expectations for patients, leading to dissatisfaction and mistrust. Moreover, advertising can be costly, diverting resources that would have been used for patient care to marketing efforts.
My Position on Health Services Advertising:
Health services advertising, like any other type of advertising, can be beneficial or detrimental. While it can provide opportunities to promote health-related messages and expand patient bases, it can also potentially mislead patients and create unrealistic expectations. Therefore, I support an approach that allows for responsible health services marketing with an emphasis on ethical and evidence-based advertising. Healthcare providers need to ensure that advertising is not used to misrepresent the quality of care offered to patients or promote unnecessary treatments.
Conclusions:
In summary, health services advertising is a complex issue that deserves careful consideration. While there are advantages to advertising, there are also potential drawbacks. As healthcare providers, it is essential to evaluate advertising on a case-by-case basis and ensure that they uphold ethical and evidence-based standards. By doing so, we can strike a balance between promoting healthcare services and providing patients with accurate information.
References:
Borden NH. The Concept of the Marketing Mix. Journal of Advertising Research. 1984;24(Suppl 4):7-12.
McKenna R. Marketing Is Everything. (cover story). Harvard Business Review. 1991;69(1):65-79.
Thomas RK. Marketing Health Services, 2nd ed. Chicago: Health Administration Press, 2010. Reading assignment: Part I, Chapters 1-4.
