Hospice care: Mapping the message

Abstract

A study into the community image of Hospice of Central Iowa (HCI) was undertaken to guide the organization in making future decisions about its position in the health care market. Consumer perceptions are important if the hospice seeks steady growth in a market where potential consumers have an intense personal involvement with the service. Using a perceptual mapping technique, HCI was able to quantify and rank the importance of certain factors in influencing choice of a care setting for a terminally-ill person. It also enabled HCI to measure whether the message it had been promoting in its public relations activities was being received by consumers. The mapping techniques allowed HCI to compare how it is perceived with how other competitive health care providers, namely, hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies are perceived by these same consumers. Finally, the technique offers information to the hospice as to the type of image development it must pursue to appeal to potential consumers making choices about care for terminally-ill people.