Small rural hospitals: an example of market segmentation analysis.
In recent years, market segmentation analysis has shown increased popularity among health care marketers, although marketers tend to focus upon hospitals as sellers. The present analysis suggests that there is merit to viewing hospitals as a market of consumers. Employing a random sample of 741 small rural hospitals, the present investigation sought to determine, through the use of segmentation analysis, the variables associated with hospital success (occupancy). The results of a discriminant analysis yielded a model which classifies hospitals with a high degree of predictive accuracy. Successful hospitals have more beds and employees, and are generally larger and have more resources. However, there was no significant relationship between organizational success and number of services offered by the institution.
Mainous
A G
AG
Department of Health Services, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536.
Shelby
R L
RL
D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D006743:Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000145:classification*; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010361:Patients; D014481:United States