A Mixed Model for Health Services Marketing in Iranian Public Hospitals

Introduction: The mixed marketing is an important issue in providing the healthcare that the healthcare provider organizations need it to survive in the contemporary era and have more market shares, revenue and to increase customer service efficiency and effectiveness. The present study aimed to provide a practical model of the factors influencing the mixed marketing in Iranian public hospitals. Methods: This was an applied and analytical study. Considering the field of health care services, 7P Service Marketing Mix Model of "Booms and Bitner" was used and the conceptual research model was determined. The dimensions of conceptual model were in the seven dimensions that included the production (services), price, place, promotion, physical evidence, processes and peoples. Then, using the library studies, the variables relevant to each dimension were collected. Data collection tool was a questionnaire that regulated base on five-item Likert scale. The research community was formed from public and private hospital administrators in Tehran, and experts of Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Data analysis was done through Lisrel version 8.50 and SPSS version 18 and using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The fit indexes of Lisrel confirmed and acknowledged the healthcare mixed marketing model with seven dimensions. The dimensions that had the greatest impact included the place with factor of 0.82 and six components affecting it. The price with factor of 0.81 and eight components affecting it were also identified. Meanwhile, other aspects of the research in terms of impact were identified: i.e. "services" with nine components, "promotion" with eight components, "physical evidences" with ten components, "peoples" with eight components and "process" with six components. Conclusion: Healthcare centers can use the mixed marketing service model with confirmed seven dimensions in marketing management through concentration on place and price. Keywords: Marketing Mixed; Health Services; Hospitals; Factor Analysis; Iran