Forming Trust in the Medical System Through Marketing Activities of Medical Institutions of Certain Territories

Abstract

The peculiarity of social development in modern life is the development of the role of knowledge and information in society, in the intensive promotion of information technology, and in the formation of new qualitative forms of information interaction between people. Systematization literary sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that social relations between doctor and patient are built on the basis of practical mutual trust. The better the communication between them, the better the result. This has a positive effect on the patient’s satisfaction with the quality of medical care provided and, in turn, increases the reputation and loyalty to the medical institution. The object of the study is the reasons for patients’ distrust of doctors of government agencies and the medical system of Ukraine as a whole. The subject is informational and marketing activities in public medical institutions in order to increase the level of trust. The target audience is patients and managers of public medical institutions. The purpose is to provide recommendations to the management of medical institutions on information activities to build trust in the medical system. To achieve the goals used these research methods: comparative, analytical, statistical, questionnaire method. The information base of the study is the analysis of the results of research, analysis of the regulatory framework, analysis of scientific literature, materials of scientific and practical conferences, statistical reference books and Internet resources. The information base of the field quantitative research is a questionnaire survey of the population on social networks and public hospitals. In February 2021, a representative survey was conducted on the attitude of people to public medical institutions among the population of Sumy region. 203 respondents took part in this survey: 117 (58%) women and 86 (42%) men. People answered questions about the assessment of trust and the state of the medical system, the reasons for choosing a public or private institution, the criteria that are considered when choosing a family doctor and the patient’s communication channels with the doctor. Analyzing the regulatory framework for informatization in the field of medicine in Ukraine, it was found that the current problem is the poor system of organization and provision of information. According to the survey, 68.5% of the population do not trust the medical system of Ukraine and assess the state of medicine as satisfactory. But the level of trust as a whole is improving. Unfortunately, little attention is paid to information and communication policy in Ukraine. Employees of medical institutions are not interested in developing and keeping up with innovations. Only 37% of respondents use alternative methods of communication with a doctor (internet, telephone). Most respondents said that communication between doctors and patients needed to be improved. Guidelines have been developed for healthcare professionals to improve communication as based on marketing with patients and increase the information literacy of professionals. The results of the study may be useful for the management of health facilities in certain territories, for family physicians who communicate directly with patients and for other institutions and their representatives involved in the health system and are responsible for information and communication component of interaction with consumers.