Market Research Plan for Health Services Customer Retention

Introduction and Purpose

This market research process mini-guide is intended to help clients understand how market research studies are conducted and to clarify the processes involved in research implementation. This section focuses on describing each stage or process at a general level. Its application and some of the concepts discussed here will be elaborated in detail in the next section (Section II: The Proposed Strategy for Customer Retention). Each step enumerated below represents the recommended order for conducting a market research study and must be followed to ensure research quality and relevance.

Problem Identification and Definition

For both the researcher and client, problem identification and definition is the first and most critical stage of the research process. It is at this stage that the researcher must determine from the client the main research question or objective that the client wishes to answer or achieve. Although identifying the problem might seem straightforward—simply identifying the question or objective the client wants answered—in practice, questions or objectives are often incorrectly identified or defined, resulting in incorrect direction or focus for the research.

Thus, at this stage, the researcher and client must work together to exhaust all of the client's questions and concerns. By the end of the consultation, the research question or objective must be correctly identified and defined. This collaborative process is essential to prevent costly misdirection later in the research implementation.

Objective Formulation and Research Design

Once the problem or question has been identified, the next step is to develop it into a clearly-phrased research question and main objective. The researcher must also include specific objectives so the client can determine whether its information and knowledge needs will be specifically addressed and answered in the study. If a quantitative research study is planned, a hypothesis statement will be developed. Optionally, criteria for evaluation or acceptability of study results could also be included, wherein an action standard will be developed based on the evaluation results (for example, an 80% or higher survey result for a specific indicator would mandate an action standard such as "implement proposed strategy"). The research question and objectives will serve as the researcher's constant guide throughout all stages of research implementation.

Research design depends on different factors, primarily based on the client's requirements. A quantitative approach to research design means the client wants research results that are representative for the target group or population being studied. A qualitative approach, meanwhile, means the client is not concerned about representativeness but wishes to explore the phenomenon or issue under study and generate insights and ideas based on exploratory findings. Some clients prefer a qualitative-quantitative research design, which combines both approaches in what may be called a "full research program." In this case, the study is conducted in two phases: the qualitative phase culls out important concepts, dimensions, insights, and ideas about the problem; the quantitative phase then uses all concepts and ideas generated from the qualitative phase, usually in the form of a survey.

This stage details the logistics aspect of conducting research. Important components include the target population or group to be sampled, sample size, geographic coverage, respondent criteria, information to be obtained, sampling strategy, quality control during data collection, and the data collection and fieldwork timeline. These components serve as both the client and researcher's guide in ensuring that data collection and the study have the least error or bias possible.

Methodology and Data Collection

Research methodology depends on the research design formulated. A quantitative research design includes only quantitative methods in its implementation, while a qualitative research design adheres to known qualitative methods. A quantitative-qualitative research design incorporates a mix of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The methodology section must be detailed enough that another researcher could replicate the study using the same procedures.

The kind of data generated determines the appropriate data analysis techniques. Information from qualitative studies is primarily in the form of texts and narratives; different qualitative techniques are appropriate for analyzing this data. Common qualitative approaches include thematic analysis, development of matrices, and textual or discourse analyses as ways of understanding the data and using them to answer the study's research question.

Data Analysis and Report Preparation

In quantitative studies, statistical analyses using specific software (SAS, SPSS, among others) are used, allowing for measurable and objective interpretation of the data and alignment of results with the research question, objectives, and hypotheses. While the researcher and client are reminded to "go back to the research objectives" at every stage of the research process, it is during the report preparation stage that the researcher and client specifically address whether the research question and objectives have been answered. The researcher must make a conscious effort to develop the report based on the framework of the study. Adhering to the framework as the outline of the report makes it more responsive to the client's information and knowledge needs. The final report is typically presented in two ways: a live presentation using PowerPoint and submission of a full written report in Word format.

The proposed strategy for the organization (Client) is to develop a Customer Satisfaction Study to identify factors that influence and encourage customer loyalty, thereby achieving retention of its clients and customers across its diverse health service offerings. Given the numerous studies and literature on customer satisfaction in healthcare settings, the consultant proposes that the study utilize a quantitative research design using survey methodology.

Proposed Customer Satisfaction Strategy

The objective of the study is to determine the factors that organizational clients consider important and to evaluate whether the organization responds to these perceived important needs. Identified important factors that contribute to client satisfaction will then be considered and integrated into the market strategic plan developed for the organization.

Important information that must be obtained and given special focus in the study is the reported overall ranking of the organization against other health systems in its immediate trade or target geographic service area. As a baseline, the researcher will use results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to determine whether the organization's performance and ranking is above, at par, or below the standard or baseline scores determined from the ACSI. The ACSI trend analysis for healthcare service satisfaction in hospitals (overall, from 1995 to 2012) provides an important benchmark for comparison.

The survey will be conducted in all organization hospitals. Conducting the survey within these hospitals presents a challenge, as clients visit primarily for medical services, and engaging them in a survey would take up much of their allotted time for the hospital visit. Thus, the study will utilize a non-probability sampling design using the technique of intercept survey, wherein clients within the hospital vicinity will be interviewed once they have given their consent, for a maximum of 15 minutes. Because the survey is an intercept interview, it should not exceed 20 minutes; the 15-minute interview length is recommended given that the survey focuses on customer satisfaction.