Using and misusing marketing research in the healthcare industry.

As competition grows in health care, marketing research, especially consumer attitude research, is becoming increasingly important to the hospital's success and even survival. However, in the research process, mistakes are often made that invalidate the usefulness of the research. Those involved in marketing research, therefore, must be aware of the possible techniques to be used, potential audiences to be surveyed, the limitations of computer analysis, and the difference between consumer attitudes and intentions, if the information to be collected is to be reliable and useful to the organization.