Journal of health care marketing
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Pharmaceutical marketers in the European Union are constrained by regulated prices, opening up opportunities for gray marketers. The authors investigate the legal framework that regulates gray markets by summarizing and analyzing relevant European Court of Justice decisions that favor gray marketers and actually foster parallel trade. Before marketing managers can develop effective strategies in this marketplace, they must first understand the precedents of the legal system in which they will be operating.
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The authors describe a five-year continuous quality improvement program that monitors inpatient and outpatient satisfaction with emergency services offered by a multi-institutional health care system. The program provides managers with the information to develop detailed plans for service improvement and suggests ways to appraise performance and recognize personnel.
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The authors conducted a field experiment in which emergency-room patients of a metropolitan hospital were either given or not given an expected waiting time to see a physician. Patients were then surveyed through the mail on their satisfaction and perceptions of service quality. ⋯ In addition, satisfaction was independently influenced by whether patients' prior timeliness expectations were confirmed. The authors discuss the results in terms of the concept that the situational context of the service may influence the quality dimensions that most affect consumer satisfaction.
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The authors investigate physicians' attitudes, information-seeking behaviors, and behavioral intentions toward home health care programs. Survey results show that physicians favor the concept, but knowledge and awareness levels about available programs vary with the physicians' specialties. Evidence also is reported on specific problems encountered, sources of information used to make home care referrals, and physicians' perceptions of the impact of home care programs on their practice. Finally, policy implications are drawn for marketers of home health care programs.