Healthcare Marketing On The Internet: A Review Of On-Going Concerns

Abstract

There is no doubt that the Internet has proven itself to be the most powerful vehicle for distributing information to millions of individuals.  After all, it is interactive, user-controlled, and provides a means for communication detailed information across a vast spectrum of topics.  When the topic is healthcare marketing, its popularity becomes even more eminent.  There are over 25,000 Internet health sites and this number is climbing rapidly.  On the other hand, there are many who are concerned about the healthcare marketing practices on the Internet.  One of the basic premises of these concerns is based on the questionable accuracy of the information on the Internet and the crucial impact of this lack of accuracy when the information is about healthcare.  This paper proposes various research propositions to understand the nature of these concerns and the potential future of healthcare marketing efforts on the Internet.  It is hoped that future inquiries of these propositions and the ones alike provide a better understanding of the required components of the upcoming healthcare marketing strategies.