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Refocusing website marketing: physician-patient relationships
1Department of Marketing, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA. peter.sanchez@villanova.edu
Health Marketing Quarterly
|May 17, 2003
Summary
Physician websites often prioritize marketing over patient relationships. This study proposes a model to leverage website technology for enhancing the crucial physician-patient connection in healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Medical Informatics
- Digital Health
Background:
- Physician websites are prevalent in healthcare marketing.
- Current websites primarily focus on practice enhancement and patient acquisition.
- Existing strategies neglect the potential of web technology for relationship building.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a model for medical service care that emphasizes physician-patient relationships.
- To explore the role of physician websites in fostering these relationships.
- To shift focus from marketing to relational aspects of online healthcare presence.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on healthcare marketing and website utilization.
- Conceptual model development based on existing service care theories.
- Analysis of the interactive potential of website technology for patient engagement.
Main Results:
- Current physician websites underutilize interactive features.
- A significant gap exists between website capabilities and their application in relationship building.
- The proposed model highlights opportunities for enhanced patient-physician communication online.
Conclusions:
- Physician websites can be optimized to strengthen the physician-patient relationship.
- Integrating relational elements into website design is crucial for modern healthcare.
- Rethinking website strategy can improve patient care and engagement beyond simple marketing.