MARKETING THEORY: APPLICABILITY TO SOCIAL WORK SERVICE PROGRAMS IN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY (CHRONIC ILLNESS, UTILIZATION THEORY, CONSUMERISM, FEE-FOR-SERVICE)

This presentation explored the impact of chronic illness on middle and upper class health consumers; and their growing need for social health support services. It addressed social work service's engagement of a middle class population with chronic illness, and provided a descriptive analysis of a range of institutionally based private social work health care models currently operating in a major tertiary medical center.;One model, offering social work services to Myasthenia Gravis patients in a private medical setting, was studied in-depth to determine the consumer market's service needs, preferences and interest in the program. Principles of marketing and consumer utilization theories were applied to the task of assessing these factors.;Findings. Seven distinct institutionally based social work practice arrangements were identified and examined. A typology was developed to classify institutional and community based medical practices in order to determine their potential for social program development.;Drawing on a Myasthenia Gravis model, a survey analysis of prospective and existent social work consumer markets was performed. Findings showed that a potential market for social work service existed, and that private patients preferred a social work service product that resembled traditional practice in health care institutions, with some modifications. We also found that the study group was relatively unfamiliar (47%) with social work services and that 87% of the respondents wanted more information. Over 50% indicated interest in potentially utilizing the service. Analysis of service users revealed that the physician played a key role in both informing patients about the service and influencing them to utilize it.;Conclusions. The results of this study support the contention that the development of private social work service health care models represent an important new area for professional expansion. They not only offer opportunities to serve new and underattended client markets but also constitute a source of revenue to help support programs serving non-paying clienteles.;Preliminary data further suggest that application of marketing theory to social program development can result in programs that are functionally more responsive to consumers' needs and structurally designed to capture their interest and participation.