At the beginning of the 21st century, the healthcare system has changed dramatically because of new technologies and new treatment methods available for millions of patients. Modern healthcare needs effective technology and marketing planning in order to compete with other healthcare providers. Innovations allow healthcare professionals to improve treatment methods and help those patients who are always considered hopeless. Also, new technology allows medical professionals to detect and recognize early signs of diseases and treat them at the early stages. Today, healthcare depends upon the goals and objectives of healthcare organizations and their strategic position on the market. The innovative elements used by healthcare organizations are organ transplantation and DNA analysis, cardiac potentiation therapy stimulation and new ways of birth, etc. These innovative technologies, which deal with people’s needs, provide satisfaction for these needs, and, hence, deliver utility. These drastic changes in income have caused additional turbulence in the marketplace in terms of people’s needs and their satisfaction. However, the unique concept of healthcare implies that the market functions almost perfectly and to the utmost satisfaction of consumers. “Technology-driven medical care becomes very sophisticated” (Shi and Singh 2004, p. 7). Today’s consumer has a tremendous number of choices. The economic impact of the modern corporate entity is far-reaching. New treatment methods and new drugs allow many patients to avoid surgery and support wellness, if the healthcare clients are complaining more often than before about some specific aspects of the healthcare delivery, there appear to be a serious problem in the making. “Development and diffusion of technology also determine the caliber of healthcare to which the people may have access (Shi and Singh 2004, p. 24).
The change from an illness-oriented healthcare model to a wellness-oriented model has transformed the delivery process. The task of medical professionals is to prevent and predict illness and support wellness for diverse clients. In healthcare, communication strategies start to play a special role because they have to provide customers and right information about wellness proposed to the target audience. Not only the healthcare administrators, medical staff, and stockholders but also the employers and the society as a whole are part of this far-reaching communication. “An integrated approach must go beyond simple merger of the medical and wellness models. The real challenge for the healthcare delivery system is to incorporate these models within a holistic context” (Shi and Singh 2004, p. 50). Ideally, it is the same corporate entity that provides growth, innovation, and stability, in short, overall opportunity for the individuals and, therefore, for the society as a whole. The importance of the wellness message is that it should be clear and concise, understandable by a large target audience. For healthcare organizations, wellness promotional activities are extremely important, if the healthcare is not pursuing an effective overall communication policy, its losses will be more than just the cost of treatment. In many situations, patients’ opinions can be used to identify the problem more succinctly and determine remedial measures. The wellness model requires the special language of management and physician-patient interaction. “Many hospitals across the nation are engaged in community health assessments, educational activities support groups and wellness programs” (Shi and Singh 2004, p. 317). The language of wellness and fitness involves medical terms and specific processes typical for this industry.. Everyone acknowledges the importance of communication because it allows medical staff to interact with.
References
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2004). Delivering healthcare in America: A systems approach. (3rd ed). Jones and Bartlett.