Hospital-physician bonding: the computer connection.

Hospitals seeking ways to increase their utilization must not overlook the medical staff, who form the main channel for patient admissions and referrals. Since physicians generally admit patients where they feel the best care is offered--and where their practice of medicine is most facilitated--many hospitals wishing to attract and retain physicians have linked patient data to their offices via computer. By strengthening positive relationships and computerizing access to information, bonding with physicians has emerged as an effective alternative to traditional hospital marketing efforts.