When seeking help from a medical organization, a person is faced with medical marketing, which means marketing services in the healthcare sector. Hence, it is logical to compare with the familiar to all the fields of marketing in the market of goods and services that can be imposed or are necessary for the acquisition. Consumer buying behavior may be comparable to that of a healthcare consumer; however, consumer-driven healthcare works differently.
My cousin’s experience with a dermatologist can be described as an example of getting medical care. Teenage skin problems occur in many at this age and, in most cases, go away on their own. My sister did not want to wait; she needed to solve the problem right now. Analyzing the situation, there was no immediate need to seek help; skin problems did not threaten her health, so this can be defined as a discretionary purchase. This acquisition was at the sole discretion of the teenager after the decision was weighed and discussed several times with parents and loved ones. Due to her age, her decisions were influenced by the environment, public opinion, social networks, marketing moves that showed perfect skin in advertisements. As a result, being the primary consumer, she decided to consult with a specialist.
A consultation with a doctor is not the same as going to the hair salon or to a car service in terms of its consequences for the patient. After all, the problem with which a person turns to a specialist often affects the quality of his life (Kreuzer et al., 2020). Therefore, its solution, including medical materials, personnel manipulation, laboratory work, and specialized equipment, has a relative value. Healthcare consumers are different from other consumers when making purchasing decisions.
To choose the best option, for example, a TV, the buyer turns to three indicators that help him make a fairly objective decision: price, quality, and desire. The relationship between price and quality is usually seen when choosing a TV; the higher the price, the better the product (SNHU A11y Remediated Videos, 2021). When choosing a therapist, the cost of a visit may be the same. However, the assistance that this or that doctor will provide may differ, even though there may be a person’s life on the line. The product’s quality can be determined for an ordinary customer by various characteristics compared by analyzing information. The choice of a surgeon is far from an obvious process for a patient. A wrong impression of a person’s personality may be formed, although only experience and qualifications are important, which are difficult to judge at the first meeting. The desire to buy a product or receive a service is natural and understandable while seeing a doctor is often forced.
This experience helps to look from the outside and critically analyze the consumers’ behavior of medical services, taking into account medical marketing. The choice of a clinic or an individual specialist must be approached with more responsibility than the choice of any product, which people sometimes neglect. Consumer behavior here may depend on the fact that a person often feels nervousness or fear for his health, trusting it to another, so his decisions can be more easily influenced. Most patients are limited in information and have to completely trust their doctor, taking the prescribed treatment and following the recommendations.
References
Kreuzer, M., Cado, V., & Raïes, K. (2020). Moments of care: How interpersonal interactions contribute to luxury experiences of healthcare consumers. Journal of Business Research, 116, 482-490.
SNHU A11y Remediated Videos. ( 2021).HCM-325 Why Don’t Patients Behave Like Consumers (CC).[Video]. YouTube. Web.