Health Services Marketing

Richard K. Thomas is Vice President of the Health Management Associates, Memphis, TN. He is also Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Thomas has authored a recent academic treatment of marketing and healthcare: Marketing Health Services (2004, Health Administration Press). He is also author of Health Communication and several other books on health administration published by Springer.

From the reviews: "Thomas details marketing activities and techniques for health care practitioners and administrators in for-profit and non-profit organizations. He presents basic concepts of marketing and ways to implement a marketing initiative, including the process, research, planning, healthcare products and customers, positioning and strategy development, financial aspects, choosing among promotional options, social marketing, new approaches, and measuring effectiveness. ... Checklists, forms, questionnaires, and other materials are provided." (www.booknews.com, April, 2008) "This easy to comprehend book describes the tactics and strategy required to effectively market products and services in the healthcare industry. ... the book is written for students, residents, and practitioners who all would benefit from the simple discussion of marketing practices. ... for marketing communications professionals, the history and complexities of the health industry provided in the book are very useful as a foundation." (Lawrence M. Leber, Doody's Review Service, March, 2009)

• to Healthcare Marketing.- The Basics of Marketing.- The Marketing Process.- Marketing Research.- Marketing Planning.- Healthcare Products and Customers.- Paying the Marketing Freight.- Market Positioning and Strategy Development.- Choosing Among Promotional Options.- Social Marketing.- The New Healthcare Marketing.- Measuring the Effectiveness of Marketing.- How to Be a Healthcare Marketing “Hero”.