DISTINGUISHING SERVICE QUALITY FROM PATIENT SATISFACTION IN DEVELOPING HEALTH-CARE MARKETING STRATEGIES

The marketing function in health care is increasingly becoming strateg ic in nature. The quality of care provided and the level of patient sa tisfaction are emerging as the core of many marketing strategies in he alth services as a means to achieve a distinctive competency in ever-m ore competitive markets. Therefore, it is not surprising that few issu es have generated more discussion in both practitioner and research ci rcles. Nonetheless, according to the health services literature, servi ce quality and patient satisfaction have confounded many, the outcome of which may be an inability of health care managers to effectively de rive, implement, and control marketing strategies. This article identi fies emerging literature that assists in overcoming these limitations.