What happens when the demanding consumers who nearly brought the U.S. automobile industry to its knees focus the same kinds of pressure on the industry that represents one-seventh of the U.S. economy—health care? The health organizations that combine quality, convenience, information, choices, and lower costs will be the winners in this revolution. Regina Herzlinger, chaired professor at the Harvard Business School, distills the facts from the noise surrounding the one industry whose measures of success are life and death. In a thoroughly readable, anecdotal style, she pinpoints the drivers of change—the savvy consumer, the cost-conscious payer, and the rapidly improving technology—that will revolutionize the American health-care system. This is a must-read for those in every corner of the immense health-care web. With its strong narrative style, this is a book that will be read and talked about by everyone concerned about the future of American health care.

"[This book is] the most authoritative assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of recent trends toward the commercialization of health care," says Robert Pear of The New York Times. This major study by the Institute of Medicine examines virtually all aspects of for-profit health care in the United States, including the quality and availability of health care, the cost of medical care, access to financial capital, implications for education and research, and the fiduciary role of the physician. In addition to the report, the book contains 15 papers by experts in the field of for-profit health care covering a broad range of topicsâ€"from trends in the growth of major investor-owned hospital companies to the ethical issues in for-profit health care. "The report makes a lasting contribution to the health policy literature." â€"Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law.

Market-Based Health Care defines for students the challenges, arguments and politics behind the concept of consumer-driven health care including what it would look like if the business sector would do a better job of organizing our health care arrangements and remove any governmental components built into the system. As a sociologist interested in health care, Budrys focuses on the impact our health care arrangements have on not just an economic level but how they affect people as well. This is an overwhelmingly complex topic and debate and one that is discussed widely in the classroom. This will be the first text to clearly present the market-based health care model and how doctors, medical insurance and “big pharma” play a role in its development.

Health Care Market Strategy: From Planning to Action, Fourth Edition, a standard reference for over 15 years, bridges the gap between marketing theory and implementation by showing you, step-by-step, how to develop and execute successful marketing strategies using appropriate tactics. Put the concepts you learned in introductory marketing courses into action using the authors' own unique model--called the strategy/action match--from which you will learn how to determine exactly which tactics to employ in a variety of settings. In this new edition, you'll also discover the latest practical applications for strategy development, the marketing planning process, challenges of a competitive marketplace, vision, and other critical aspects of health care marketing. The Fourth Edition also examines new health care delivery models, increasing competition, foreign competitors, and health care reform. Students will come away with a clear understanding of the link between the board room and its connection to tactics in the marketing division. The authors provide models and methods to help organizations discuss and create clear and precise visions for their organizations. The new edition also includes expanded Appendices that present a clear picture of what a typical market plan should look like.

This much-needed text offers an authoritative introduction to strategic marketing in health care and presents a wealth of ideas for gaining the competitive edge in the health care arena. Step by step the authors show how real companies build and implement effective strategies. It includes marketing approaches through a wide range of perspectives: hospitals, physician practices, social marketing, international health, managed care, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. With Strategic Marketing for Health Care Organizations, students and future administrators will have a guide to the most successful strategies and techniques, presented ready to apply by the most knowledgeable authors.