Marketing the rural hospital-based laboratory: building a customer-centered outreach program.

Rural hospital laboratories, which operate 24 hours/day, 7 days/week to meet inpatient and emergency-room care requirements, are situated uniquely to provide outpatient laboratory services for their communities. Laboratory managers looking to augment current services should consider implementing an outreach program. This article will explore the marketing aspects involved with developing a customer-centered outreach program, including finding a market niche, developing a business plan using elements of the consumption chain, addressing customer service issues, and business plan testing and validation.