Title: Marketing issues in healthcare research

Authors: Guilherme D. Pires, John Stanton

Addresses: Newcastle Graduate School of Business (NGSB), Faculty of Business & Law, University of Newcastle, University House, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia. ' School of Marketing, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia

Abstract: How marketing knowledge is applied to the healthcare sector is examined to identify where this knowledge is being used and can be used better. Social marketing, market segmentation, new technologies and consumer empowerment are discussed. Relevance is first established before considering how social marketing is being applied. Limitations and problems are discussed, of which one is the failure to target effectively. Healthcare sector segmentation is considered in terms of ethnicity, given the need to often distinguish and target minority groups. The continuing growth in availability and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) opens the sector to an array of marketing applications with significant strategic considerations for competing businesses. While the use of ICT has implications for consumer empowerment, understanding of the links and interactions between the marketing activities of business using ICT and the empowerment of consumers of healthcare, is another area in need of further research.

Keywords: social marketing; market segmentation; information technology; consumer empowerment; healthcare research; marketing knowledge; new technologies; ICT; communications; ethnicity; minority groups.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBHR.2008.018451

International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research, 2008 Vol.1 No.1, pp.38 - 60

Published online: 24 May 2008 *

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