With the increasing prevalence of online hospital and physician review sites steering patient consumers, hospital image and branding is becoming an increasingly powerful influence in guiding consumer decisions.
National Research Corp's 2014 Market Insights Study of National Brands analyzed responses from 290,000 households to determine consumer trends and behaviors. According to the survey, familiarity with a hospital brand has a significant impact on how consumers make decisions relating to their healthcare.
Key findings from the National Research Corp's survey are listed below.
- Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic and Kaiser Permanente are in the top stratum in terms of national name recognition and reputation.
- Among the top four most familiar national brands, consumers most often described Kaiser Permanente, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic as "a well-known name in the healthcare industry."
- Of the top four most familiar national brands, consumers most often described Johns Hopkins as having "a long-standing reputation for great medicine."
- Twelve percent of consumers have utilized the services of their most familiar national brand in the past three years.
- One out of three consumers would consider using their most familiar national brand for any treatment or surgery.
- Among consumers who would consider using their most familiar national brand for any treatment or surgery, 18 percent say convenient locations, easy access and proximity sets it apart from other national providers, while 38 percent say having new and advanced technology and equipment sets it apart from other national providers.
- Seventy-seven percent of consumers would recommend their most familiar brand to their friends and family.
- The same is true for 78 percent of consumers who consider their most familiar brand a national healthcare provider, and 70 percent of consumers who consider that brand a local healthcare provider.
- Thirty-four percent of consumers consider their most familiar brand an "acquaintance" and 6 percent consider their most familiar brand a "best friend."
- Of U.S. consumers who perceive their most familiar national brand as being "really on the way up," 56 percent describe it as having a "long-standing reputation for great medicine," and 38 percent describe the brand as an "elite provider of health and wellness education."