A marketing perspective on the efficient strategies in Romanian family medicine

Abstract

Family Medicine has always been regarded as an interdisciplinary specialty, but lately, in most Eastern-European countries, such as Romania, it has been supported by many laws and regulations. The outcome of this prolific background has brought both advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages relate to a sustainable structure, and, at the same time, Family Medicine has been recognized as being the gate-keeper in almost any health care system. Further, due to the privatization of most family practice offices, in Romania, appeared a modern organizational approach, in the shape of a consortium of family physician practices. Some family physicians consider providing their services in a private office as a benefit, but for others the freedom and autonomy to become responsible of their own practice is considered to be a drawback because, apart from the clinical activity, many family physicians have to deal with managerial and marketing issues. In Romania, a consortium of family practice offices has to overcome a very competitive environment and some Marketing specific trends. The aim of this paper is to investigate the usefulness of marketing strategies in the Romanian family physician practice.