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A University of Utah marketing professor says social-networking tools are essential to assist health-care providers in helping consumers navigate the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
A paper, co-authored by professor Debra Scammon and entitled "Transforming Consumer Health," was published in the June issue of the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing.
According to a statement issued by the U.'s Eccles School of Business, "the paper highlights some of the potential challenges consumers face as a result of initiatives implemented in response to the PPACA and suggests ways health care providers, policy makers and health care marketers can best prepare consumers to meet them."
Scammon "advocates that social marketing is the best way to segment health consumers and then identify the specific challenges faced by each segment," the statement said.
She writes: "The success of the PPACA relies heavily on the willingness of consumers to participate in a variety of health care initiatives. In order to ensure this participation, there will need to be a series of public policies and efforts enacted that educate the public on their health care options and motivate them to engage in healthy behaviors. We believe the most effective way to achieve this is for health care marketers, providers and policy makers to initiate innovative social marketing strategies."