Designing a Branding Model for Public Teaching Hospitals in Iran

Background and Objectives: HospitalBranding is a new concept in Iran that requires focused attention in order to enhance economic performance of health care delivery system. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework for initiation and promotion of public teaching hospital brand in an Iranian context. Methods: A comparative study of hospital branding in eight pioneer countries revealed 51 elements potentially influencing successful hospital branding. Based on expert opinion, these elements were refined and adapted to the Iranian context. Based on this information a 47-item questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire was distributed among 364 experts from different health domains, including clinicians of public and private hospitals and policy makers, executives, and authorized advisors from MOHME and various medical universities. The collected data were analyzed using exploratory factors analysis in order to identify factors influencing hospital branding. The robustness of the identified factors was further explored by confirmatory factor analysis. Findings: Identity, image, competitiveness, strategy, and relationship were identified as the five key dimensions of hospital branding in the Iranian context. Conclusions: Identification of the major dimensions of hospital branding may help policy-makers to develop effective brand promotion strategies in hospital industry.