MARKETING IN HEALTH INSTITUTIONS: A RESEARCH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HEALTHCARE MARKETING MIX FACTORS FOR PATIENTS /CONSUMERS

Compared to other sectors, marketing in healthcare sector is a new concept put into practice in recent years. although the first appearance of the concept seen in 1970s; it began to be used in professional manner especially after 1980s. with the increase in number of private hospitals and/or other healthcare institutions together with increased competition, increasing costs, existing idle capacity, improved consumer awareness; marketing concept in healthcare sector, as a specialized field of expertise, gained an increasing importance gradually. in addition; the patients/consumers’ opinions about these activities, has become an important issue with the growing importance of marketing activities. in this research, to what extent the patients/consumers who get healthcare service from private hospitals put an emphasis to the marketing activities and to what extent these activities affect their healthcare institution preference are investigated by using the marketing mix factors.