Assignment

Description

A reputable hospital has high quality ratings from patient satisfaction surveys but is still losing market share. For many years, health care organizations, as well as traditional businesses, have been frustrated that high customer satisfaction scores do not necessarily lead to higher levels of profitability or sales.

Prepare a report examining this phenomenon that address the following elements:

• Evaluate and explain inconsistency between customer satisfaction scores and profitability and why it tends to exist in health care organizations.

• Apply the statistical procedures discussed in class to support (or refute) the inconsistency.

• Assess price vs. quality of services as well as the impact of insurance or managed care contracts on a hospital's market share, regardless of patient satisfaction levels.

• Explain how you could use high patient satisfaction results to your advantage when negotiating a new managed care contract for the hospital. Discuss ethical issues involved when presenting results.

• Discuss how qualitative and quantitative data can be used to help this hospital improve market share.

The body of the resultant report should be 5-7 pages and include at least 5 relevant peer-reviewed academic or professional references published within the past 5 years.

Library Resources:

Statistical Analysis 1 Below is a list of articles and summary descriptions on effective communication in health care. Click here to use the online library to search for the complete articles. Article 1 The increased use of meta-analysis in systematic reviews of health care interventions has highlighted several types of bias that can arise during the completion of a randomized controlled trial. Study publication bias and outcome reporting bias have been recognized as potential threats to the validity of meta-analysis and can make the readily available evidence unreliable for decision making. This update reviews and summarizes the evidence from cohort studies that have assessed study publication bias or outcome reporting bias in randomized controlled trials. Twenty studies were eligible, of which four were newly identified in this update. Only two followed the cohort all the way through from protocol approval to information regarding the publication of outcomes. Fifteen of the studies investigated study publication bias and five investigated outcome reporting bias. Three studies have found that statistically significant outcomes had higher odds of being fully reported as compared to nonsignificant outcomes (range of odds ratios: 2.2-4.7).

In comparing trial publications to protocols, it was found that 40-62% of studies had at least one primary outcome that was changed, introduced, or omitted. It was decided not to undertake meta-analysis because of the differences between studies. This update does not change the conclusions of the review in which 16 studies were included. Direct empirical evidence for the existence of study publication bias and outcome reporting bias is shown. There is strong evidence of an association between significant results and publication; that is, studies that report positive or significant results are more likely to be published, and outcomes that are statistically significant have higher odds of being fully reported. Publications have been found to be inconsistent with their protocols. Researchers need to be aware of the problems of both types of bias and efforts should be concentrated on improving the reporting of trials. Dwan, K., Gamble, C., Williamson, P. R., & Kirkham, J. J. (2013). Systematic review of the empirical evidence of study publication bias and outcome reporting bias - An updated review. PLoS One, 8(7), 1-37. Article 2 The article describes different causes of bias and their consequences. According to the author, there are three general types of bias: selection bias, information bias, and confounding bias. It is recommended that when planning an Library Resources: Statistical Analysis 2 observational study, one should consider potential validity issues carefully. It is stated that one should plan observation and data collection in a way that minimizes selection and information bias. Ranstam, J. (2008). Bias in observational studies.

Acta Radiologica, 49(6), 644-645. Article 3 Selection effects include seemingly independent influences on and choices in conducting and reporting primary research that may bias a stock of knowledge. Such effects may arise from sociopolitical influences (research priority selection), researcher choices (methodology selection), peer review influences (publication selection), and meta-analyst choices (metadata sample selection). This paper discusses the impact, detection, and amelioration of selection effects within benefit transfer. Also discussed is evidence of selection effects in the literature and their implications for primary research. Evidence suggests that meta-regression analysis may be the best tool for detecting and generating corrective measures for selection biases within benefit transfers. Rosenberger, R. S., & Johnston, R. J. (2009). Selection effects in meta-analysis and benefit transfer: Avoiding unintended consequences. Land Economics, 85(3), 410-428. Article 4 The relationship between customer satisfaction and economic returns has received growing attention in the customer satisfaction literature.

However, there has been limited work linking customer satisfaction to customer profitability. Specifically, most empirical studies conduct firm-wide or businesslevel tests, but few investigate if individual customers' satisfaction with products or services drives their purchase intentions and economic contributions to the firm. Using panel data from 36 retail branch banks that are managed by an international financial institution (RBANK) and that consists of two customer satisfaction data points over nine months and monthly activity based customer profitability data, this study examines how individual customers' satisfaction impacts customer revenue, customer costs, and customer profitability.

The results indicate that several dimensions of customer satisfaction are positively associated with individual customers' repurchase intentions and firm reputation. The effect of the responsiveness dimension dominates the effect of other dimensions in most tests. At RBANK, individuallevel customer revenue and costs both increase as customer satisfaction Library Resources: Statistical Analysis 3 improves, but no significant relation exists between customer satisfaction and customer profitability. These findings shed light on several management issues such as market segmentation, customer retention, and the implementation of a balanced scorecard. Furthermore, this study highlights a way for managers to analyze customer value, which is beneficial for long-term customer relationship management. Sui-Hua, Y. (2007). An empirical investigation on the economic consequences of customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 18(5), 555-569.

Can Social Marketing Change Healthcare Behavior?

Good morning class, The age of technology widens the possibilities for changing behavior. E-health interventions, deliver using the Internet and social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Websites) are increasing common. Social Marketing is a way of planning communication programs, technology, marketing efforts that aim to influence human behavior. In recent times, campaigns have been launched in areas such as health promotion. Examples of these are: anti-smoking, drug abuse, drinking and driving, AIDS, physical fitness, obesity prevention and alcohol abuse. Social marketing uses marketing techniques to generate discussions and promote information, attitudes, values and behavior. By doing so, it helps to create a climate conducive to social and behavioral changes.

What we have seen so far is mobile phones (Smartphone apps) are good candidates for the delivery of behavioral interventions. Connectivity allows the sharing of behavioral and health data among health professionals, patients, family members and relatives which may facilitate behavior change. Many people have been embracing this change - have you seen a behaviorally change in your friends or family members? Video games are another platform for changing dietary behaviors particularly children. The earlier children embrace these changes it will certainly improve health promotion programs in the future.

Researchers should continue exploring how online technologies can be designed to make them maximally effective in the future. Given the high reach and low cost; it is promising in enabling wide access. On the other hand, there has been some "push back" on making changes. Social Marketing campaigns tend to be one-sided exercises in power by government-employed professionals who decide what behaviors are wrong, what behaviors are right, who needs to change, and what they need to know. Only problem is: some citizens detest being given advice by public officials about how they should behave.

Changes on many occasions come about only through an integrative approach. Improving the anti-social behavior of drinkers, for instance, has required collaboration between police, community leaders and licensing authorities; physical re-design of streets; modified management practices; training for staff; advocacy; political leadership; and legislative change. Social marketing has been the least important factor in the mix. Of course there's nothing wrong with social marketing. It's a vital part of the mix. It spreads knowledge, creates interest, helps get people buzzing, and helps spark action so that manufacturers get busy with the work of changing institutions and supporting technological innovation that improve.

Someone once said, "Life is your journey, Goals are your destination and hard work is your set of wheels." Keep on trucking!!