Hospital marketing is here to stay.

In 1983, a study was conducted to determine to what extent privately owned acute care general hospitals used formalized public relations and marketing programs in the management of their institutions. The results indicate three major concerns common to all respondents: (1) The potential for developing new services and community programs; (2) The need to reevaluate and redefine the target market of the institution's services; and (3) The need for more accurate and comprehensive strategic planning, both short and long-term.