MARKETING AS A CURRENT TOOL FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF MEDICAL BUSINESS

The article is devoted to identifying the essence and specifying the significance of medical marketing in the healthcare sector. The real and potential investment attractiveness of business in the medical sector and the feasibility of implementing modern tools to increase its efficiency, in particular marketing, are substantiated. We have formed our own vision of the essence of medical marketing – it is a complex of marketing tools, instruments, and techniques implanted in the healthcare industry, which primarily includes advertising and promotion of medical products and services, medical institutions (hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers), medical instruments, materials, equipment, medicines, as well as certain medical methods and procedures. The author identifies that medical marketing differs from traditional marketing because it requires a special understanding of the medical field, ethical standards and regulatory requirements. It is determined that the objects of such marketing are medical services, medical institutions, medical institution specialists, and ideas. Taking this into account, the author distinguishes such components of medical marketing as marketing of medical services, marketing of a medical institution, marketing of medical personnel, and marketing of medical ideas. It is determined that medical services are characterized by the properties of services in general, in particular, quality variability, impermanence, short-lived nature, and indivisibility. The features of medical services are identified, in particular, the uniqueness of consumer requirements, personalized nature, quality control by government agencies, low elasticity of demand. The current trends in medical marketing due to the informatization of social processes are determined, in particular, the use of online tools and methods is a priority. The most popular digital forms of medical marketing include: social media, email marketing, website, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, pay-per-click ads, content marketing, influencer marketing, video advertising, and online advertising.