Restructuring a radiology department to meet changing needs.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Healthcare Marketing
• Service Management

Background:

• Radiology departments traditionally face challenges in marketing and promotion.
• A proactive approach to understanding market demands and patient needs is often overlooked.
• Good Samaritan Hospital recognized the need for a strategic shift in service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel marketing and promotion concept for radiology services.
• To assess the impact of enhanced physician communication and patient-centered care on service utilization.
• To demonstrate a successful model for increasing outpatient visits in a hospital radiology department.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a marketing/promotion strategy focused on physician engagement.
• Increased emphasis on addressing and prioritizing patient needs and expectations.
• Longitudinal tracking of outpatient visit data since the strategy's inception in 1986.

Main Results:

• Achieved over 2,300 additional outpatient visits since the marketing strategy's implementation in 1986.
• Demonstrated a direct correlation between the new approach and increased patient volume.
• Established a sustainable model for growth in radiology service demand.

Conclusions:

• A targeted marketing and promotion strategy, centered on physician relations and patient needs, is highly effective for radiology services.
• This patient-centered approach can lead to significant increases in outpatient utilization.
• The success at Good Samaritan Hospital underscores the value of innovative service management in healthcare.