Managing customer relationships through E-business decision support applications: a case of hospital-physician collaboration

Ž . Customer Relationship Management CRM is a valuable concept for hospitals to establish long-term physician relationships. Given predetermined reimbursement amounts, clinical interventions by physicians can significantly impact hospital profitability and quality. Therefore, disseminating quality and cost information to physicians can build lasting relationships, while insuring financial stability. Ž . This paper presents a CRM approach adopted by a hospital through a web-based Physician Profiling System PPS . We discuss physician involvement in PPS development and present a high-level cost-benefit analysis. Post-deployment results indicate that PPS strengthened relationship with physicians, improved efficiency of clinical operations, while simultaneously improving patient satisfaction. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.