Hospitals can attract women through education

Hospitals are responding to women's demands for information about healthcare by instituting educational programs specifically for women. To plan such programs, the first step is to establish the major goal--whether to attract new market segments or to better serve existing users of services. It is possible to accomplish both, but they may require different approaches in terms of the program's location, time, presenters, topics, and promotion. In addition to attracting an audience, these programs also can build an image and promote utilization of services. Women who hear or read of the programs will get the impression the hospital cares and is enlightened about women. Targeted segments can be established by factors such as age, geography, and employment status, and programs can be set up to meet the specific needs of each segment. The program planners must resist the urge to tell women what the planners want them to know; instead, planners should learn what the women want to know. The programs also should rely on research that deals specifically with women, instead of information applicable to all people, since that information is usually based on the study of men only. Once the program has been presented, its effectiveness can be measured through random telephone or mail surveys to determine whether the target market has been reached.