How Does the Marketing Mix of Regional Public Hospitals in Padang, Indonesia, Compare to Private Hospitals?

Hospitals, like any other business, must attract patients to increase revenue. Several studies have shown that the marketing mix concept was closely linked to the selection of hospital services. Public and private hospitals differ in some ways, particularly in finances. This study compared the marketing mix of regional public (RSUD) and private hospitals (non-RSUD) in Padang, Indonesia, and offers practical insights that could be applied in the real world. This was observational research with a cross-sectional study design. Samples were selected consecutively, 100 samples. The data was collected using a questionnaire to investigate the marketing mix of RSUD compared to non-RSUD in Padang. The Chi-Square statistical test was used to determine if there was a significant difference in the marketing mix between the two types of hospitals. Logistic regression was applied to identify the most critical factors. Both tests were conducted with a degree of significance of p <0.05. The results showed that only 34% of respondents chose regional public hospitals (RSUD) as their preferred referral hospitals. There was a significant difference in Price, Place and Promotion between the RSUD and non-RSUD (P < 0.05). Price was money spent on transportation to the hospital, not the cost of hospital services, due to respondents being covered by nationwide health insurance. Thus, it was related to the hospital location (Place) and public transportation. The promotion was the most considerable difference factor (p = 0.003). These findings had practical implications for hospital management and marketing strategies, particularly price, place, and promotion. Understanding and leveraging these factors could empower hospitals to better meet the needs and preferences of their patients, which in turn improved the success of their marketing strategies. Keywords: Marketing Mix, Marketing Strategies, Public Hospital, Private Hospital, Promotion