Evaluation of health care service diversification options in health care institutions and programs by portfolio analysis: a marketing approach.

Originally conceived as a technique to assess how well current activities contribute to the attainment of organizational goals, portfolio analysis also can be used as a marketing research tool for considering the relative merits of various diversification options under consideration by institutional decision makers. The authors describe the features of portfolio analysis and its use as a tool in the evaluation of health care diversification options. A case study of a hospital that has employed the method in its corporate planning and marketing efforts illustrates the use of this analysis technique.