The marketing of partial hospitalization.
Health-care professionals are currently operating in the context of a rapidly changing health-care delivery system, including the move away from inpatient services to outpatient services in order to control costs. Those who practice in partial-hospital settings are in a position to offer effective, cost-efficient services; however, there continue to be obstacles which hinder appropriate utilization of the modality. The development and use of a well-designed marketing plan is one strategy for removing these obstacles. This paper presents a brief overview of the marketing process, ideas for developing a marketing plan, and several examples of specific marketing strategies as well as ways to monitor their effectiveness. Partial-hospital providers must take an active role in answering the calls for alternative sources of psychiatric care. A comprehensive, education-oriented marketing approach will increase the public's awareness of such alternatives and enable programs to survive in a competitive environment.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013714:Tennessee