Studying Healthcare from a Marketing Perspective

Abstract

Healthcare is becoming an increasingly complex issue and requires more active decision-making from consumers. This monograph outlines a research agenda for studying healthcare issues from a marketing perspective. Marketing scholars and practitioners alike have a unique perspective to help address healthcare challenges, and this monograph provides broad guidance for applying insights ranging from the individual level to the societal level. First, the authors briefly explain several key theories in psychology, economics, and behavioral economics that can be applied to the healthcare landscape. Next, several topics related to changing consumer behaviors related to their own health and help guide practitioners toward healthier relationships with their patients are examined. Emergent topics in healthcare are also considered from an organizational and societal level. Finally, the monograph concludes with guidance for future research and a summary of extant marketing research in the healthcare domain. As a companion piece to A Chronology of Health Care Marketing Research (Iacobucci, 2019), the goal of this monograph is to help bridge the gap between marketing and healthcare research and practice and to provide a forward-looking, marketing-based perspective to healthcare challenges.