Medical marketing in health communication: The impact of physicians' press conferences on the number of outpatients

Objectives: The aims of this study were to understand the effect of press conferences on the number of new outpatients for medical clinics or physicians and to determine what particular medical news was correlated with the number of new outpatients for specific clinic divisions and physicians. Methods: Data were collected from a clinic in Taipei during the period from 2002 to 2003. Results: The results indicated that the impact of press conferences on the number of new outpatients was positive and persistent. Conclusions: Calling press conferences as a marketing device contributed to the increase in the number of new outpatients.