Tangibility of Healthcare in Services Marketing
1. Scale of market entities – is healthcare intangible dominant or tangible dominant?
In contrast to tangible dominant offerings that can be felt, tasted, and seen, the healthcare services that are offered by the hospital can be categorized as intangible dominant. This intangible service is largely characterized by interactions with healthcare professionals, education on health conditions, and ultimately a better quality of health. Though the offering is primarily intangible, if the hospital is to be successful they should integrate a few tangible aspects to the offering. If the end goal of the service is to tend to the needs of the patient’s health through a primarily intangible offering, tangible elements such as medical equipment, patient care supplies, comfort items or foods, and a clean hospital environment are all important to be incorporated in the overall service experience.
2. The survuction model:
The servicescape consists of the physical, visible evidence that defines the service environment. The hospital had physical elements such as official forms, hospital building facilities, hospital machines and equipment, and various supplies and materials provided in the NICU and Grower Room. The patients reported a great experience in the NICU, as they had an abundance of supplies including blankets, personalized birthday cards, and pictures. Unfortunately, the private room the couple stayed in on the fourth floor was described as “small, dingy, and dirty”. Furthermore, when the father-to-be was stationed in an empty hospital room on a stool by himself, he characterized his wait as a “very long 10 to 12 minutes” until he could be brought to the delivery room. The aforementioned visible evidence greatly affected the couple’s perception of the hospital experience both positively and negatively.
Because the needs of patients are so vast in delivery services, Dr.’s Baker, Johnson, Arthur, and all the various nurses throughout the different departments
In contrast to tangible dominant offerings that can be felt, tasted, and seen, the healthcare services that are offered by the hospital can be categorized as intangible dominant. This intangible service is largely characterized by interactions with healthcare professionals, education on health conditions, and ultimately a better quality of health. Though the offering is primarily intangible, if the hospital is to be successful they should integrate a few tangible aspects to the offering. If the end goal of the service is to tend to the needs of the patient’s health through a primarily intangible offering, tangible elements such as medical equipment, patient care supplies, comfort items or foods, and a clean hospital environment are all important to be incorporated in the overall service experience.
2. The survuction model:
The servicescape consists of the physical, visible evidence that defines the service environment. The hospital had physical elements such as official forms, hospital building facilities, hospital machines and equipment, and various supplies and materials provided in the NICU and Grower Room. The patients reported a great experience in the NICU, as they had an abundance of supplies including blankets, personalized birthday cards, and pictures. Unfortunately, the private room the couple stayed in on the fourth floor was described as “small, dingy, and dirty”. Furthermore, when the father-to-be was stationed in an empty hospital room on a stool by himself, he characterized his wait as a “very long 10 to 12 minutes” until he could be brought to the delivery room. The aforementioned visible evidence greatly affected the couple’s perception of the hospital experience both positively and negatively.
Because the needs of patients are so vast in delivery services, Dr.’s Baker, Johnson, Arthur, and all the various nurses throughout the different departments