title: Promoting physician referral services. Prospective users are not necessarily the best advertising target.
abstract: Providers of physician referral services (PRSs) often focus advertising toward consumers who are least aware that such services exist. However, focusing advertising toward a more aware audience might be more useful. A recent study found that consumers most familiar with health care services are most likely to remember the concept of a PRS. Since these consumers may discuss PRSs with others, there appears to be value in promoting PRSs to more aware consumers as intermediaries to diffuse information to less aware consumers.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Care Marketing, University of Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Gelb
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods*; D003625:Data Collection; D007255:Information Services; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians; D011639:Public Opinion; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013781:Texas