CBE6191: Marketing of Health Care Organisations (online)

Overview

The Marketing of Health Care Organisations (online) module is led by George Miaoulis. It runs in the Spring semester and is worth 15 credits.

This module is available as a CPD option

This module is not available as a DDP module

Introduction

The main aim of this unit is to introduce key concepts of marketing, their interrelationships and their role and application in health care contexts.

The unit focuses on aligning health service offerings with the demands of markets in order to maximize customer/client value and organizational competitive advantage.

Regulatory restrictions, financial pressures, and fierce competition are issues health care marketers must confront while marketing and promoting quality services and programs.

Students will explore in depth:

• the nature of the marketing function
• differences in services and product markets and marketing
• market analysis
• fundamentals of individual and organizational buying behaviour
• elements of the tactical marketing mix (service offering design, price, promotion and customer acquisition channels)
• marketing plans applied to the health care market

Objectives

This unit aims to introduce key concepts of marketing, their interrelationships and their role and application in health care contexts.

It focuses on aligning health service offerings with the demands of markets in order to maximize customer/client value and organizational competitive advantage.

The nature of the marketing function will be explored in depth:

• differences in services and product markets and marketing; market analysis
• fundamentals of individual and organizational buying behavior
• elements of the tactical marketing mix (service offering design, price, promotion and customer acquisition channels)
• marketing plans applied to the health care market

Learning outcomes

By the end of the unit, a candidate will be able to:

• Understand and critically and effectively apply a number of tools available to marketing managers
• Appreciate and exercise critical judgment in implementing the concepts that are involved in producing an effective marketing effort in the health care sector
• Critically analyse real-life situations and provide solutions to challenges they may encounter
• Critically analyse, evaluate and use own reasoning when dealing with complex issues
• Synthesize the forces affecting the environment and their impact and implications on marketing in the health care sector
• Systematically assess factors affecting marketing decisions

Teaching methods

The course is taught completely online. This offers flexibility and enables the students to study at their own pace and from any location, allowing students to fit their studies around part or full-time employment.

The course will be delivered via the University of Sheffield's Blackboard. Blackboard enables students to access all of the course materials, to interact and collaborate with fellow students and tutors and to complete and submit formative and summative exercises and assessments.

The unit teaching methods will consist of a number of asynchronous methods:

• Recorded lectures in a form of screencast, leading to independent study of lecture notes available in Blackboard
• Selected videos and interviews with practitioners (i.e. marketing managers in health care organizations)
• Analysis of case studies, application workshops and synchronous methods
• Interactive discussions on discussion board or private social media
• Webinars and on-line discussions
• Learning paths will guide the students through the material.