Two items on marketing in the health care setting stand out today.
1. The New York Times reports ("Burgers for Health Professionals") on the spread of fast food restaurants in hospitals across the country. A McDonald's spokesman, talking about the golden arches in a children's hospital, said, "Happy Meals provide kids with the nutrients they need. From the emotional side, it really does help them get better."
2. The Wall Street Journal reports ("Eye Doctor to Elite Blazes New Trail in Selling Surgery") on "the transformation of opthalmology into a business requiring acute consumer-marketing savvy." The Journal says this was sparked by Lasik surgery, rarely covered by insurance. "The hunt for patients willing to pay thousands of dollars for surgery not covered by medical insurance is thrusting more doctors into a new world of hype and promotion."
Posted by schwitz at October 26, 2004 11:32 AM